Welcome to Element City, where the fiery Ember Lumen and the go-with-the-flow Wade Ripple are about to discover what happens when fire meets water in Pixar Animation Studios’ newest movie, Elemental, which debuts today on all major digital platforms (Apple TV, Prime Video, Vudu, etc.) and will be released for 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 26, 2023. Of course, you can't have a home video release without bonus content that compliments the feature presentation. From deleted scenes to an all new short, there is a lot of fun extras included on the Digital, DVD, Blu-ray and 4K releases of Elemental. Note bonus content varies by retailer and product and may include:
Short Film
Carl’s Date – Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® Award winner Bob Peterson and produced by Kim Collins, this all-new short, “Carl’s Date,” finds Carl reluctantly agreeing to go on a date with a lady friend —but admittedly with no idea how dating works these days. Ever the helpful friend, Dug steps in to calm Carl’s pre-date jitters and offer some tried-and-true tips for making friends — if you’re a dog. “Carl’s Date” opened in theaters in front of Disney and Pixar’s Elemental.
Featurettes
Ember and Wade – Take a deeper look at the development of main characters Ember and Wade, from early designs to final effects, and learn how the complex work of the technical and character teams brought these characters to life.
Next Stop: Element City – Explore how Element City is built to accommodate its different inhabitants. Director Peter Sohn and crew members share insights about the evolution of the designed world, as well as some of the research that inspired its unique look.
Paths to Pixar: The Immigrant Experience – Hear from first-generation filmmakers on the Elemental crew as they share their journeys to Pixar. Discover how Elemental’s real-world themes of sacrifice and identity, amongst many others, reflect or diverge from their own lived experiences.
Deleted Scenes – Director Peter Sohn introduces five scenes that are storyboarded, set to music, timed, and voiced, but are not included in the final version of Elemental.
Intro Ember – An alternate opening in which our hero Ember helps a newly immigrated Fire family navigate through, and acclimate to, Element City. Scene introduced by director Peter Sohn.
Mom Rejects Wade – Ember’s traditional parents learn that she’s enamored with watery Wade…and it doesn’t go well. Scene introduced by story supervisor Jason Katz.
Dante Challenge – In an attempt to keep Ember apart from Wade, Bernie tasks her with finding a place to live for newcomer Dante, who Wade finds himself rather enamored with. Scene introduced by story artist Nira Liu.
Brook Dinner – Ember joins Wade for dinner at his home, in this abandoned storyline in which Wade’s mother, Brook, is revealed to be the villain diverting water into Firetown. Scene introduced by story artist Anna Benedict.
Beach Proposal – Sharing a tender moment on the beach, Ember and Wade propose marriage to each other. Scene introduced by story artists Yung-Han Chang and Le Tang.
Audio Commentary – Join director Peter Sohn, supe tech Sanjay Bakshi, supervising animator Mike Venturini, and directing animator Gwendelyn Enderoglu as they provide insight into the making of this remarkable animated feature while you watch it.
Elemental is an original feature film set in Element City, where residents of Fire, Water, Earth and Air live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in. Directed by Peter Sohn (“The Good Dinosaur,” “Partly Cloudy” short), and produced by Denise Ream (“The Good Dinosaur,” “Cars 2”), Elemental features a screenplay by John Hoberg & Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh, and stars the voices of Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie as Ember and Wade.
Tickets for Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, LES MISÉRABLES, will go on sale August 12 at 10:00 a.m. for its engagement at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre December 20, 2022 – January 8, 2023. Tickets will be available online at Ticketmaster.com, BroadwayinDetroit.com, charge by phone (800) 982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office.
Performance times for LES MISÉRABLES appearing December 20, 2022- January 8, 2023 at the Fisher Theatre located at 3011 W. Grand Blvd., in Detroit are:
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 21, 2022 matinee at 1:00 p.m., evening at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 22, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, December 23, 2022 matinee at 1:00 p.m., evening at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 24, 2022 matinee at 1:00 p.m.
No show on Christmas Day
Monday, December 26, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 28, 2022 matinee at 1:00 p.m., evening at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 29, 2022 matinee at 1:00 p.m., evening at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, December 30, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 31, 2022 matinee at 1:00 p.m., evening at 6:30 p.m.
No show on New Year’s Day or January 2
Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, January 6, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 7, 2023 matinee at 1:00 p.m., evening at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 8, 2023 matinee at 1:00 p.m., evening at 6:30 p.m.
Recommended for ages 12 and up. | Run time is 2 hours 55 minutes.
Tickets for Les Misérables start at $45 (includes facility and parking fee) and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Friday, August 12. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office. A limited number of premium seats will be available through Ticketmaster and at the Fisher Theatre Box Office.
Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, LES MISÉRABLES tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history.
Boublil & Schönberg’s magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “Do You Hear The People Sing?,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and many more. Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and 22 languages, LES MISÉRABLES is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals.
All ticket purchasers will receive a Broadway in Detroit Health & Safety Guide via email in the days prior to their performance. This guide will also be posted on the company’s website (BroadwayInDetroit.com) and available at the Fisher Theatre box office. It will have the latest information on the company’s health and safety protocols as well as information on what to expect when you arrive at the theatre.
For more information about upcoming productions, follow @BroadwayDetroit on Twitter. And if you are a Tweeter make sure to be following @Geekdad248 too! Let's give a Woot! Woot! to LES MISÉRABLES coming to Detroit!
I've always appreciated that two of America's earliest masked super heroes originated from my hometown of Detroit. While the Lone Ranger may have been battling outlaws in the Old Wild West his stories were being produced and played out in the downtown Detroit studio of radio station WXYZ which created the character for a show it began broadcasting in 1933. The success of The Lone Ranger led WXYZ to create a spin-off of the show in 1936 called The Green Hornet which featured a masked crusader taking on criminal elements in gangster era Chicago. While these two radio programs were set in different time periods and locations, The Lone Ranger and the The Green Lantern had similar themes in their stories and actually shared a common heritage.
The Lone Ranger story begins with John Reid being a member of a Texas Rangers law enforcement posse led by his brother Daniel who are chasing after a band of outlaws known as the Cavendish Gang. The Texas Rangers are ambushed and the Cavendish Gang rides off from the bloody scene believing they've left all their pursuers dead. John Reid is found though clinging to life by a Native American named Tonto who nurses him back to health. John becomes The Lone Ranger by creating a black mask from his fallen brother's Texas Rangers leather vest and vowing to stop the Cavendish Gang along with any other outlaws he may encounter in the Wild West under his new secret identity.
In the 1942 season of WXYZ's The Lone Ranger radio series, a character was introduced to demonstrate the common heritage the shows' creators had meant for the characters in it and The Green Hornet. They introduced the son of the Lone Ranger's deceased brother Daniel to the show making Dan Reid Jr. a juvenile sidekick complete with his own horse Victor. The Lone Ranger eventually sends his nephew Dan is eventually sent East to get an education and eventually becomes a successful and wealthy newspaper publisher in Chicago. Dan's son Britt eventually takes over running the Daily Sentinel newspaper by day and the wealthy young publisher transforms into a masked vigilante known as the Green Hornet who takes to the streets to tackle crime at night in his own WXYZ radio show. The police, general public and criminal underworld all believe the Green Hornet to a crook in his own right; a perception Reid uses to his advantage in infiltrating evil doers plans and turn them over to the police along with any incriminating evidence he has found. As the black masked Lone Ranger has a loyal partner in Tonto and his famous steed Silver, Britt Reed donned in a green mask is accompanied by his trusted confidant Kato and has a ride more fitting of the times, a tricked out car called "Black Beauty."
WXYZ eventually brought the family connection between the two shows full circle in a 1947 episode of The Green Hornet called "Too Hot to Handle" in which Britt reveals to his father, Dan, that the young man is the Green Hornet. In their discussion, Dan tells Britt of their family relationship with the Lone Ranger and talks of riding alongside him in Texas taking on outlaws. As their conversation comes to a conclusion The Lone Ranger theme song plays in the background. Another interesting tie-in between the two shows is that John Todd who played Tonto on The Lone Ranger radio series also has the role of Dan Reid Jr. in The Green Hornet.
The popularity of these two radio shows led to their leading characters becoming iconic heroes of American lore with their stories being expanded into comic books, television shows, and movies over the years. In the 1950s, WXYZ sold the rights to both The Green Hornet and The Lone Ranger to two different owners. With that move the family connection between The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet was lost into history as each franchise now didn't have the rights to reference the other. That was until Dynamite Entertainment obtained the license to both properties and discovered in researching its comic book stories the secret heritage of The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet.
In its mini-series THE LONE RANGER / THE GREEN HORNET, Dynamite Entertainment explores the common heritage of these two classic American heroes. Britt's great uncle, John Reid, has retired to Chicago where he spends his days at a local park telling tales of his Lone Ranger adventures to children. When Dan Reid Jr. suddenly dies of a heart attack, Britt must return home from traveling around exploring the globe to take over running The Daily Sentinel with his great uncle keeping a watchful eye over his grand nephew. When Eliot Ness, leader of the U.S. federal law enforcement agents know as the Untouchables, uses Britt to set up a meeting with John to ask for the Lone Ranger's assistance with taking on a Nazi threat within the United States it creates the spark for a new member of the Reid family to become a masked hero.
I found the first issue of THE LONE RANGER / THE GREEN HORNET to be a very enjoyable read with a nice vintage vibe to it with artwork that pays homage to the style of old newspaper comic strips plus well placed references to both the original radio series and historical events of the time when this story is set. When John Reid gets angry he uses the phrase "I'm mad as a hornet" which is a nice segue into Britt Reid taking up the identity of the Green Hornet. John also brings Britt his grandfather's vest which had Tonto used to make the Lone Ranger mask. Descendants of the Cavendish Gang make a return to lead the Bund, which was a real life group of trouble making Nazi sympathizers in the 1930s and 40s, in a new threat that brings together two different generations of Reid family heroes. The addition of historical figures of the time including Eliot Ness and Jesse Owens is also an interesting touch adding to the stories classic radio era dynamic. A band even opens up the story playing the "William Tell Overture" which was the theme song for WXYZ's The Lone Ranger radio show and stuck with the character through his television show and movie appearances. It's said that George W. Trendle, owner of the WXYZ-Detroit radio station, didn't want to spend money on an original theme song so selected the "William Tell Overture" as it was royalty free in the public domain. That move tied together the "William Tell Overture" with The Lone Ranger as two things that will always be associated with one another.
My dad loved The Lone Ranger when he was a kid and during my childhood we watched the black and white television reruns together every Sunday morning before going to church. So I've always had an affinity for the character plus with Bruce Lee as Kato you know I've watched my fair share of The Green Hornet TV episodes as well. With a retro feel this modern take on these two franchises from Dynamite Entertainment is well worth your time and money to pick up. Stop by your local comic book shop or order issues of THE LONE RANGER / THE GREEN HORNET directly from Dynamite.com.
I've been a fan of the offerings of comic book publisher Dynamite for a
few years now because they take the popular stories and characters of past generations ranging from early 20th Century works like Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, John Carter: Warlord of Mars, Sherlock Holmes and Tarzan tomore recent fare from the 70s such as The Six Million Dollar Man and Battlestar Galactiva portraying them in updated adventures for modern audiences to enjoy while maintaining many of their classic elements. Dynamite Entertainment gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval for THE LONE RANGER / THE GREEN HORNET because it reintroduces the Green Hornet the way the character was originally meant to be portrayed through a well done comic book that pays homage to two of America's first masked super heroes.
Scrat, Manny, Sid, and Diego from the animated franchise "Ice Age" will be making an appearance on the FOX television network Sunday, March 20, 2016 in an all-new holiday adventure -- ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE. The half-hour holiday television special will air from 7:30 - 8:00 pm ET/PT. My kids adore the Ice Age movie characters so this is a must view television show for our household.
In ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE harried mom Ethel (Taraji P. Henson) entrusts her precious soon-to-hatch egg to Sid (John Leguizamo). When she recommends him to her neighbors -- condor mom (Wendy Williams), Cholly Bear (Gabriel Iglesias) and Gladys Glypto (Lili Estefan) -- business booms at his new egg-sitting service. However, dastardly pirate bunny Squint (Seth Green), who is seeking revenge on the ICE AGE gang, steals, camouflages and hides all the eggs. Once again, with Squint's brother Clint (Blake Anderson) assisting, Manny (Ray Romano), Diego (Denis Leary) and the rest of the gang come to the rescue and take off on a daring mission that turns into the world's first Easter egg hunt.
Watching this Easter special is sure to delight young viewers but don't fret if your family can't tune in on Sunday night because ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE arrives on Digital HD the day after the broadcast at iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, and Amazon Video. Plus because my own kids are such big fans of this franchise, A GEEK DADDY wants to share their enjoyment of this new ICE AGE television special with our blog readers and social media followers so we're giving away a digital download code to one lucky individual.
Congrats to Angie from Oregon who won our ICE AGE Giveaway
To be eligible for this giveaway just follow
@Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet
which is
embedded below before March 20, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST. Must be a US or
Canadian resident to participate. One entry per person and we'll
randomly select someone from all eligible entries to receive aDigitalHD edition of ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE.
During the special, don't miss an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming all-new feature film ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE premiering in U.S. theaters Friday, July 22, 2016.
While waiting for the announcement of our giveaway winner, have some fun
with these Ice Age themed activity sheets and coloring pages:
FTC DISCLOSURE / 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. Winner must be following the twitter account
@Geekdad248 at the time winner is randomly drawn to be eligible and so
he or she can be notified. Must reply to DM within 48 hours of
notification or a new winner will be selected. If you win this prize on
another blog, you will not be
eligible to win again. Must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years
old. 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 the same gift package 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. Any opinions in this post are my own. A Geek Daddy is a member
of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger Program receiving special
information and perks as part of its participation. #InsidersEggscapade
It's always exciting when you discover something out of the blue that is really darn cool. I just stumbled across an animated movie coming out in September that I hadn't heard of before called THE WILD LIFE that looks perfect for a family outing to the theater. It is a comedic re-telling of the Robinson Crusoe story told from the perspective of the animals who inhabited the island that the castaway was marooned on. I can't count the number of times we've wanted to go to the movie theater with our kids and there just wasn't anything age appropriate for young children to view playing so it is always nice to hear of a new family friendly movie being scheduled a release date.
Look for THE WILD LIFE to arrive at theaters across the United States on September 9, 2016.
Synopsis of The Wild Life
From
the over-exuberant parrot Tuesday to the snack-obsessed tapir Rosie,
from the persnickety echidna Epi to the acrobatic pangolin Pango, from
the ditzy goat Scrubby to the commonsensical kingfisher Kiki and the
always-cool chameleon Carmello, things are larger-than-life on a
tropical isle that is pure wild animal paradise. Then Robinson Crusoe, a
marooned human, arrives in the midst of a furious storm, and their
lives are forever changed by this bewildering new “creature.” No matter
their differences, castaway human and quirky animals embark on an
hilarious new adventure, building the island’s first tree-house and
surviving together. But when two conniving members of the animal
kingdom — the savage cats Mal & May – pounce into a battle for
control of the island, Crusoe and his animal posse must uncover the true
power of friendship against all odds.
For more information, visit the movie's official Facebook or Twitter pages.
I can honestly say that Walt Disney Animation Studio's 2014 animated motion picture BIG HERO 6 is one of my son's favorite movies and he has anxiously been awaiting news about a possible sequel ever since we went to see it at the theater. He has all the action figure toys representing the film's cast, has spent numerous hours playing as BIG HERO 6's primary characters Baymax and Hiro characters on the Disney Infinity video game, and has watched the movie over and over again more times than I can count on the dvd we've added to our home video library. So I find myself with mixed news to share with the boy after receiving an announcement from Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer at Disney Channels Worldwide regarding the future of Big Hero 6 which has a bit of bad news but also plenty of good news for fans of the movie and its characters.
Starting with the bad news first -- it appears there won't be a sequel arriving in movie theaters for BIG HERO 6 in the foreseeable future and maybe not at all. The good news though is that the adventures of Baymax, Hiro and their aspiring superhero team as the cable channel Disney XD has begun production on a BIG HERO 6 animated television series for kids, tweens and families based upon the Academy Award-winning movie which was based upon a Marvel comic book of the same name.
"Our colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios have created a brilliant world, inspired by Marvel, with vivid, unique characters," Gary Marsh said in his announcement. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to further develop these characters into a world class animated series -- full of fun, action and the kind of endearing storytelling that only Mark McCorkle, Bob Schooley -- and Baymax -- can deliver."
Emmy Award-winning producers McCorkle and Schooley, creators and executive producers for the Disney Channel's globally successful "Kim Possible" series hope to create another popular hit as executive producers for the BIG HERO 6 animated series on DisneyXD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, this new series picks up immediately
following the events in the feature film, and continues the adventures
and friendship of 14-year-old tech genius Hiro and his compassionate,
cutting-edge robot Baymax. Alongside Hiro and Baymax on their journey
are control freak Wasabi, scientist Honey Lemon, fanboy Fred and
no-nonsense Go Go, who together form the legendary superhero team, Big
Hero 6. As the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology,
Hiro now faces daunting academic challenges and the social trials of
being the little man on campus. Off campus, the stakes are raised for
the high-tech heroes as they must protect their city from an array of
scientifically enhanced villains.
While my son is going to be bummed that there isn't a sequel coming to the movie theater, I'm pretty sure he is going to be delighted by this new television series and looking forward to being able to enjoy continuing adventures of the Big Hero 6 team.
My kids are wild with excitement that we're going on a family outing this weekend to see Walt Disney Studio's newest animated feature film, ZOOTOPIA, at the movie theater. ZOOTOPIA arrived at theaters across the United States today and my kids have been wanting to see this movie since we began seeing trailers featuring a catchy theme song by Shakira while at the movies last year. It looks to be a funny, upbeat story that parents and children can equally appreciate. I'm sure all of us adults can appreciate the sloths working at the department of motor vehicles though kids under 16 may not get the humor. With a cute bunny as its star, comedic moments, and an energetic musical score this looks to be a perfect movie for families with young children to go see.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring the illustrated characters in a Walt Disney animated movie to life? Think you have the artistic talent to do it yourself? Check out these two videos from the production team of ZOOTOPIA showing how to draw the movie's characters Judy (Bunny) and Flash (Sloth). Have some fun giving it a shot trying to draw these two ZOOTOPIA characters yourself just like a Disney movie studio animator.
My wife and son are really talented when it comes to drawing, me not so much. For those of us who prefer leaving the drawing to those with a more artistic touch, we can still create our own Flash and Judy masterpieces by printing out and decorating these ZOOTOPIA coloring sheets A GEEK DADDY was provided courtesy of Walt Disney Studios. Go wild coloring Judy Hopps, Flash, Nick Wilde, Mr. Big and other characters from the world of ZOOTOPIA!
The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia which is the backdrop for this new family friendly animated adventure from Walt Disney Studios is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it's a melting pot where animals from every environment live together -- a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie police officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a force of big tough animals isn't so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with fast talking, scam artist fox Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) to solve the mystery.
Do you know the first Walt Disney Studios feature film to be released for public distribution on video tape? It was Pete's Dragon which was made available for VHS and Betamax video cassette players in 1980. This was one of the very few movies my parents ever purchased for our VCR, back in the days when everyone rented movies from video stores because purchasing them was absurdly expensive, and I watched it more times than I can count...so much in fact the cassette tape eventually just wore out. It was probably a good investment for my parents as we'd gone to the theater so many times to see the movie at my urging. Compared to today's computer generated imagery Pete's Dragon was very rudimentary yet for it being the late 70's/early 80's the combination of its special effects, Disney animation, and the Apple Dumpling Gang / Escape from Witch Mountain vibe of its live action scenes made it a mesmerizing film for a 6 year old boy to see. I still remember excitedly stomping around during my elementary school's Halloween parade wearing my bright green and purple Ben Cooper costume of Elliot my mom let me pick out at the Ben Franklin Five & Dime wishing I could fly, breath fire and turn invisible like the dragon in the movie.
Based upon my childhood fondness of Pete's Dragon, it was exciting to find out that Walt Disney Studios is producing a new version of the movie this summer that I'll be able to enjoy with my children who are at the age I was when the original movie was popular. This new movie is arriving August 12, 2016 to theaters across the United States will be a re-imagined telling of the tale with a modernistic tone to it. The original film's musical numbers, slap stick comedy, and cartoonish animation will be replaced with stunning imagery, a more sophisticated script and incredible life like special effects within this new incarnation of Pete's Dragon. Disney has been pretty hush-hush up to now on details of this brand new Pete's Dragon movie but has just recently released a poster, movie stills and a teaser reel.
Pete's Dragon will be rated PG. It's story revolves around old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) who for years has delighted
local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in
the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas
Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more
than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a
mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in
the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete’s
descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr.
Meacham’s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an
11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber
mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he
belongs, and the truth about this dragon.
I hope that my kids find the new Pete's Dragon as magical as the original movie that I enjoyed so much at their age. For more information, visit movies.disney.com/petes-dragon-2016
** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free **
My son rushes to get dressed and eat his breakfast every morning so he has some time before school to watch his favorite show Wild Kratts on PBS KIDS. This animated television series follows the adventures of the Kratt brothers, Chris and Martin, as they go into the wild to save animals from over-the-top villains or real world based situations that threaten creatures in their native habitats. Shows include the duo donning special "power suits" that allow Chris and Martin to mimic the special abilities of animals, fish and birds to save the day in animated sequences plus incorporate live video segments featuring the brothers with wild life that they educate the audience about. Wild Kratt's has really sparked an interest with my son in learning about animals and their natural habitats.
Our family has an upcoming adventure we'll be embarking on soon and my son is excited to be able to watch in the van during our long road trip the Wild Kratts: Australian Adventure DVD that PBS Kids recently released on January 5th. The TV-Y rated Wild Kratts: Australian Adventure DVD has a run time of 60 minutes and includes two television show episodes Koala Balloon and Kickin' it with the Roos plus a special bonus adventure called Platypus Cafe.
Episode 1: Koala Balloon
Martin and Chris must protect a young koala stranded in the
Australian Outback, and help him get back to his eucalyptus forest
habitat. On their quest to return the adorable animal home, the brothers
discover lots of interesting facts about how animals are specialized to
their own environment.
Episode 2: Kickin’ it with the Roos
When Chris and Martin meet up with a mob of red kangaroos, they
get their car keys stolen by a joey and have to figure out how to get
them back from the tricky little guy. As they jump into the life of the
roos to search for the missing keys, the brothers realize that animals
live in different kinds of social groups and they have important
behaviors that keep the group together and safe. But everybody wonders
just how safe this search has become, when Chris and Martin get tangled
up in a kickboxing match with the dominant male and caught in the middle
of a dingo attack.
Bonus Episode: Platypus Cafe
On a kayaking expedition in
Australia, the brothers encounter one of the world’s most unusual
creatures: a platypus mother with her eggs. But unscrupulous endangered
animal chef, Gourmand, plans on adding the platypus eggs to his menu.
Chris and Martin must harness the special electromagnetic “sixth sense”
of the platypus to save the eggs.
Australia has such incredible animals and landscapes that combined with the comedic exploits of the Kratt brothers is sure to entertain and educate most kids. You can pick up your own copy of the Wild Kratts: Australian Adventure DVD from the Shop PBS online store.
It seems like we're always wondering when the next kid friendly film will be arriving at theaters so we can go on a family outing to the theaters. Unfortunately when you have young children there aren't always a lot of options for movies that the whole family can go together to see without worrying about violence, sexual situations, and other mature themes being portrayed on the big screen in front of your little ones. So I've compiled a calendar of the more kid friendly motion pictures that will be playing at theaters in 2016 to keep track of when some of the best times throughout the year will be to consider a family trip to the movies.
NORM OF THE NORTH - January 15
A polar bear of many words, Norm’s greatest gripe is simple:
there is no room for tourists in the Arctic. But when a maniacal developer
threatens to build luxury condos in his own backyard, Norm does what all normal
polar bears would do…he heads to New York City to stop it. With a cast of
ragtag lemmings at his side, Norm takes on the big apple, big business and a
big identity crisis to save the day.
KUNG FU PANDA 3 - January 29
When Po's long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the
reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new
panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across
China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible—learn to
train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate
band of Kung Fu Pandas!
ZOOTOPIA - March 4
The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no
other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid
Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live
together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the
smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps
arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big,
tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the
opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking,
scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery.
THE LITTLE PRINCE - March 18
The story centers around a young girl who befriends an eccentric old neighbor. The elderly man shares with her his tale of being a pilot who crash-landed in the Sahara
desert and came across a little boy who says he is a prince fallen to Earth
from his home on an asteroid. As the pilot repaired his plane, the little prince
regales him with stories about his home and the foolish inhabitants of nearby
asteroids.
THE JUNGLE BOOK - April 15
The Jungle Book is an all-new live-action epic adventure
about Mowgli, a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of
wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome
tiger Shere Khan, who bears the scars of Man, promises to
eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever
known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by
panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera and the
free-spirited bear Baloo. Along the way, Mowgli
encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart,
including Kaa, a python whose seductive voice and
gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie, who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to
the elusive and deadly red flower: fire.
RATCHET & CLANK - April 29
Ratchet & Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes
as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every
planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind -- a foolhardy
"lombax" who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family
of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. When the
two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they
must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in
order to save the galaxy. Along the way, they will learn about heroism,
friendship, and the importance of discovering one's own identity.
ANGRY BIRDS - May 20
A feature-length movie based on the popular downloadable
game in which birds try to attack pigs who stole their eggs.
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - May 27
In this sequel to Alice in Wonderland, Alice Kingsleigh has spent the past few years
following in her father’s footsteps and sailing the high seas. Upon her return
to London, she comes across a magical looking glass and returns to the
fantastical realm of Underland and her friends the White Rabbit,
Absolem, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter (played by Johnny Depp), who is not
himself. The Hatter has lost his Muchness, so Alice embarks on
a quest to borrow the Chronosphere, a metallic globe inside the chamber of the
Grand Clock which powers all time. Returning to the past, she comes across
friends – and enemies – at different points in their lives, and embarks on a
perilous race to save the Hatter before time runs out.
FINDING DORY - June 17
Finding Dory takes place about a year after the events that transpired in the Finding Nemo which won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Finding Dory addresses the one emotionally open-ended issue that remained from
the first movie: Where is Dory’s family, and will this overly-optimistic fish
with short-term memory loss ever be able to find them again? This movie's setting moves from the Australian backdrop of the first movie to to the California coastline in this one and features a that welcomes a host of
new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of
Dory’s life.
BFG - July 1
The BFG, while a giant himself, is a Big
Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing
24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly
dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler and Fleshlumpeater on the other hand, are twice
as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the
BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country,
Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of
the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize
that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a
giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where
he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic
and mystery of dreams.
Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for
one another quickly grows. But Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted
the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more
bothersome. Sophie and the
BFG soon depart for London to see Queen Victoria and warn her
of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come
up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.
Adapted from Roald Dahl's 1982 novel, which was illustrated by Quentin
Blake this film marks Steven Spielberg’s first time directing a Disney-branded
movie.
SECRET LIFE OF PETS - July 8
Set in a Manhattan apartment building, after the two-legged
residents head for work and school, their pets gather to start their day, which
consists of hanging out, trading humiliating stories about their owners, and
helping each other work up adorable looks that will lead to more snacks. The
head hound is a quick-witted terrier rescue, whose
position at the epicenter of his master’s universe is suddenly threatened when
she comes home with Duke, a sloppy mongrel with no
polish. The two soon find themselves on the mean streets of New York, where
they meet the adorable white bunny Snowball. It turns
out that Snowball is the leader of an army of pets that were abandoned and are
determined to get back at humanity and every owner-loving pet. The dogs must
thwart this plot and make it back in time for dinner.
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE - July 22
Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into
the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that
transform and threaten the Ice Age World. To save themselves, Sid, Manny,
Diego, and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest
full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a
host of colorful new characters.
KUBO & THE 2 STRINGS - August 19
Clever, kindhearted Kubo ekes out
a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including
Hosato, Hashi and Kamekichi. But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally
summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an
age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey and Beetle,
and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of
his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With
the help of his shamisen - a magical musical instrument - Kubo must battle gods
and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King and the evil
twin Sisters to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his
family and fulfill his heroic destiny.
STORKS - September 23
Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they
deliver packages for global internet giant Cornerstore.com. Junior, the
company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally
activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly
unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to deliver this bundle of trouble before the
boss gets wise, Junior and his friend Tulip, the only human on Stork Mountain,
race to make their first-ever baby drop – in a wild and revealing journey that
could make more than one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in
the world.
TROLLS - November 4
Not much has been released about this animated movie yet except that it revolves around those creatures with the funky hair that old ladies keep as lucky charms while playing Bingo.
FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM - November 18
Set in New York roughly seven decades before Harry Potter’s
saga starts, Fantastic Beasts is based on the Hogwarts textbook of the same
name and follows the adventures of its author, Newt Scamander.
MOANA - November 23
In the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana, a born
navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible
journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse
the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures,
breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.
SING - December 21
Matthew McConaughey voices "Buster Moon," a dapper
Koala who runs a once-great theater now fallen on hard times. Seeing the thing
he loves most in his life coming to ruin, Buster connives to restore the
theater’s fortunes by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.
The last few years the lineup of family friendly movies during the summer has really been ho-hum with most of the best films coming out during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. 2016 could reverse that trend with what appears will be some of the year's best Kids Movies being released in June and July. My wife is really excited about going to see Finding Dory, in fact probably more excited than my kids are, and the two movies my 7 year old twins appear to be most excited to go see, Secret Life of Pets and Ice Age: Collision Course are coming out in July. Just like when Frozen, we don't know much about Disney's big animated feature Moana in advance of its release. People went into Frozen not necessarily knowing much about what it was about and fell in love with it. Could Moana have the same Disney magic? If so than the holiday season could again overtake the summer as the blockbuster time of year for kids movies. Also keep an eye out for Sing which comes out at the end of the year from the studio that brought you the Despicable Me and Minions movies. Moana, Trolls, Fantastic Beasts and Sing could make for some great end of the year movie watching if these films all live up to studio expectations.
So what kids movie is your family most looking forward to seeing this year?
THE SCORCH TRIALS, this fall's sequel to 2014's hugely popular THE MAZE RUNNER movie, became available on Blu-ray and DVD December 15th. These two films are based off of the critically acclaimed young-adult series of novels by author James Dashner and the pair have earned a combined total of nearly $600 Million at the global box office. Directed by Wes Ball, these movies feature a charismatic cast including Dylan O'Brien ("Teen Wolf"), Thomas Brodie-Sangster ("Game of Thrones"), Ki Hong Lee ("The Unbreakable Kimmie Shmidt") and Kaya Scodelario ("Skina")depicting a post-apocalyptic dystopian world. Mysteries deepen and stakes are raised in THE SCORCH TRIALS as the Gladers must survive "The Scorch" in this bigger, even more suspenseful and action-packed sequel to THE MAZE RUNNER.
There's more action, more excitement and more spectacular special effects in this thrilling new chapter of the Maze Runner saga. They may have escaped from the Maze, but Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and his fellow Gladers now face a greater challenge: searching for clues about the secret organization known as WCKD which imprisoned them in the glade and forced them to challenge the maze for their chance to escape. Their journey leads them to the Scorch, a desolate wasteland filled with unimaginable dangers. The mystery deepens at every turn as the Gladers work together to discover their purpose and battle to survive.
A Geek Daddy is giving away MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS Ultimate Fan Edition on Blu-ray to one lucky reader. For your chance to win the movie complete one or both of the following
entries by Wednesday, December 23, 2015 before 11:59 pm EST. Must be a US
resident over 18 years old to win.
UPDATE: Congrats to Chris from Saline, Michigan who won THE SCORCH TRIALS on Blu-ray.
E-MAIL (1 ENTRY)
Follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter. E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com
your name, mailing
address, and twitter handle. Must be following our account on Twitter at
the time winner is selected to be eligible to win. Email subject line
should be SCORCH.
FACE BOOK ( 1 ENTRY )
Visit our Facebook page , LIKE the contest post, and
leave a COMMENT telling us about a maze, mystery or puzzle you have solved.
All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are
received and one number will be selected to determine the winner using
random.org. E-mails will only be used to
contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.
The limited edition MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS Ultimate Fan Edition on Blu-ray includes an exclusive 24-page printed comic book with two new prequel stories from BOOM! Comics -- one on the character of Teresa and the other a Crank (the zombies who populate the Scorch) backstory. In addition, two hours of thrilling bonus content, including deleted and extended scenes will take fans further behind-the-scenes of the suspense and action-packed journey through the Scorch. It also includes Janson's Report which are debriefing videos with Janson, Thomas, Newt, Minho, Frypan and Aris after the conclusion of the events in THE SCORCH TRIALS. This Blu-ray package also includes an offer for the Maze Runner mobile game with a free "Brenda" runner plus in-game currency.
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. Any opinions in this post are my own. A Geek Daddy is a member
of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger Program receiving special
information and perks as part of its participation. #ScorchInsiders
If you have a little princess in your life you'll want to check out the new Strawberry Shortcake DVD coming out on August 11, 2015 featuring animated stories putting a berry twist on some classic fairy tales. In Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Tales, Strawberry and her gang of berry best friends place themselves within some of my daughter's favorite bedtime stories featuring princes and princesses. Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Tales is rated G and is 71 minutes long featuring three stories. The DVD also features printable coloring pages you can download on your PC and a digital version of the show that can be viewed on mobile devices.
Join Strawberry Shortcake's friend Plum in "Snowberry and the Seven Berrykins" as she learns to believe in herself when putting on a small and simple play for a young audience. The next tale is "Berryella and Prince Berry Charming" which focuses on guy friend Huck agreeing to act in a production of this berry tale then quickly realizing that he'd be happier working behind the scenes. Finally in "The Littlest Berrykin" Strawberry, Lemon, and Raspberry star as three princesses on a quest to rule a kingdom that realize during their adventure that they can never succeed without kindness and generosity.
Thanks to our friends at Fox Home Entertainment we have a Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Tales DVD to provide one lucky A GEEK DADDY blog reader. For a chance to win you must be a U.S. or Canadian
resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the
following
entry methods to earn up to 5 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Monday August 10, 2015. All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order
they are
received and one number will be selected to determine the winner using
random.org. E-mails will only be used to
contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.
EMAIL (1 Entry) E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address. Email subject line should be Berry Best Blog. FACEBOOK COMMENT (2 Entries) Visit A GEEK DADDY on Facebook and leave a comment on our contest post sharing what your favorite fairy tale is.
TWITTER POST (2 Entries) Follow @Geeky_Dad and tweet: A GEEK DADDY is the berry best blog - I want to win Strawberry Shortcake #BerryTales on DVD from @Geeky_Dad http://www.ageekdaddy.com/2015/08/strawberry-shortcake-berry-tales.html #Ad
Please download and print out the following Strawberry Shortcake coloring page from the DVD to enjoy:
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. Any opinions in this post are my own. #BerryTales
Is there a child in your life that loves dinosaurs but Jurassic World may have been a bit too scary for them to go see? If so don't fret because there is a dinosaur movie coming out soon that is a perfect for families with young children to go see. Disney PIXAR's The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters across the USA on November 25, 2015 and is an animated feature film perfect for a family outing to the movies.
The Good Dinosaur asks the question: What if the asteroid impact that forever changed life on Earth never happened and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios will take audiences on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs featuring a story where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely friend...a human boy. According to the movie synopsis, while traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of. Directed by Peter Sohn with voice talent supplied by Raymond Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Zahn, AJ Buckley, Ann Paquin, Sam Elliott. Frances McDormand, Marcus Scribner and Jack Bright this movie has peaked my interest because the only one I know who might love dinosaurs more than my kids is me! Looks like over Thanksgiving weekend we'll be eating some turkey, going to the annual Thanksgiving Day parade, watching the Detroit Lions play football, and swinging by the local movie theater with my kids to see The Good Dinosaur.
Marvel Entertainment will focus the reintroduction of its publishing STAR WARS titles in 2015 (they originally had the licensing rights from 1977 through 1986) with three new comic books - a Star Wars ongoing monthly series beginning in January, a Darth Vader ongoing monthly series beginning in February and a 5 issue Princess Leia mini-series beginning in March. Here's a sneak peek courtesy of StarWars.com at the first few pages from the first issue of the upcoming PRINCESS LEIA mini-series written Mark Waid (Daredevil) with artwork by Terry Dodson (Uncanny X-Men):
The first issue of the mini-series begins with the medal ceremony that took place at the conclusion of the film A New Hope ( aka the original Star Wars movie). The theme of this comic book mini-series will be on how does Leia handle being a princess for a world that no longer exists. Waid discussed the plot in an interview he did with StarWars.com about Marvel's new publications:
"So it's a five-issue story that takes her across the galaxy in
search of others of her kind to try and pull them together," Waid says.
"Of course, some of them are going to be suspect, because they suspect
this could be some sort of weird trap by the Empire. Some of them are
going to be very angry, as they rightly or wrongly blame the house of
Organa for what happened. Obviously, Leia will be traveling as low
profile as she possibly can. If and when the Empire gets wind of the
fact that Leia is doing is this, they're going to be very interested
themselves in what she's doing, what she thinks she's doing, and what
information there is to be mined from these people."
PRINCESS LEIA #1will be available to read in March, 2015.
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