Synopsis: Navigate number skills on a pirate adventure with Tad, Lily, and Scout! Tad and Lily need a little number sense to help them get through a complicated game, so their magical firefly friend, Edison, takes them on a fantastical journey under the sea! When their cute puppy pal, Scout, is mistakenly captured by a pirate, they must use their new understanding of numbers, counting, and estimation to rescue him. Join them as they navigate the deep and face foes such as sharks and crab henchmen—even Pirate Pythagoras himself—and begin to see numbers in a whole new way!

Review:The LeapFrog gang is always a great source of both educational content and entertainment for little ones.  Their DVDs are not only fun to watch, but the learning content is strong and the songs are well produced.

This great learning DVD has the new character, Scout, heavily featured, which my kids loved.  The animation is in the new design, which first premiered in LeapFrog: Lets Go To School, which we reviewed last year.  One thing also of note...the LeapFrog DVDs now include closed captioning, which is wonderful.  Overall, this was a great watch, the kids loved it and they definately learned a lot.  Highly recommended!

Interest Range: Kids Movies, Learning

Synopsis: From the creators of the smash-hit series The Office and Extras and based on the original record-breaking podcasts, comes the new animated comedy series, The Ricky Gervais Show. The series is an animated version of the original podcasts that earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most downloads. It is voiced by Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and colleague and friend Karl Pilkington whose offbeat musings inspire many of the storylines which include the merits of 20th century inventions; Karl's suggestion for population control; how philosophy has evolved through the ages and not forgetting Karl's perfectly round head!

Review: I'm going to go on record as saying that Ricky Gervais is one of the greatest comedians of all-time.  His stand-up is intelligent, but accessible and his television creations, like the Office and Extras, are absolutely groundbreaking and fantastic.  He has been hosting the Emmys the past few years to great success and exposure.  His films are wonderful and his biting and harsh british sense of whit is contagious.  He's a damn genius!

The Ricky Gervais show is a 13-episode animated series that airs on HBO, which is based on Ricky's very popular series of podcasts.  There are two types that will enjoy this show.  If you LOVE Gervais and are already a crazy fan you need this and you already know why you cheeky fool.  If you aren't familiar with Ricky this is a great way to get aquainted with his more intellectual side.  You can get his stand-up DVDs and all that, but this is him discussing real life and philosophical issue with his wonderful sense of logic and humor.

This show is an absolute gem and we're looking forward to season 2.

Synopsis: After Ben's wife leaves him, his 17-year-old son Justin gives him a makeover that makes him the most popular single man in town. But soon his swinging lifestyle catches up to him and Ben decides to win back his one true love.

Review: This film was a great little film about the complications of a modern love affair.  When a man's wife leaves him his son gets him made over and ready to date...but after his nurse, some twins and a crazy gymnist, he decides he wants his wife back.  This film is funny, but in the way that Dinner for Schmucks was funny...its painful.  Funny...but painful.  The film has a lot of heart and a great cast that really rounds it out and makes it an enjoyable watch.

Interest Range: Romantic Comedy, Drama

 You can own this blu-ray today

Synopsis: From director Robert Rodriguez (Grindhouse, Sin City) comes an action-packed, cutting-edge serving of carnage asada...with killer deleted scenes that deliver more guns, more girls and more Machete action! Set up, double-crossed and left for dead, Machete (Danny Trejo) is an ass-kicking ex-Federale who lays waste to anything that gets in his path. As he takes on hitmen, vigilantes and a ruthless drug cartel, bullets fly, blades clash and the body count rises. Any way you slice it, vengeance has a new name--Machete.

Review: When you take a newly cult director like Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) and a long-time fan favorite actor like Danny Trejo, a name not known to many until recently but a face we all knew, and you get a brainchild like Machete.  Machete is quite simply put a little boys dream.  This film is an expansion of one of many fake movie trailers made for the Quentin Tarantino Grindhouse project.

Machete is everything you love in B-class film.  Every exploitative and gratuitously violent situation that you can imagine.  Throw all that in with Cheech playing a priest...you have a masterpiece!  This film will only make sense and appeal to a certain crowd. You need to have a love for camp...a love for Trejo and a love for fun.  This movie is all blood, murder and mayhem.  Its a wonderful epic that I'll enjoy for years to come and will defintely stick in the books as an instant cult classic!

Interest Range: Action / Adventure, Cult

Synopsis: Follow these bunny siblings and their take on popular fairytales in Max & Ruby: BunnyTales. In such episodes as Emperor’s Max’s New Suit, Ruby’s Real Cinderella, and Max and the Three Little Bunnies, Max is still up to his usual antics as Ruby tries to maintain order and follow the rules.

Review: Max and Ruby is a long-running Nickelodeon program that appeals to kids from infancy all the way to 7 or 8 years of age.  At least in my house it does!  The great thing about this show is that it is safe.  I don't have to worry about the content or what the kids are viewing while this show is in the DVD player.

This new DVD features 4 episodes of the Bunny Tales show, which breaks down to 12 mini-episodes.  The cartoons are fun and warm and up to the standards that Nickelodeon and Noggin' have given us over the years as parents.  The show isn't educational, per say, but its safe and fun and sweet.  Its a home run for anyone with a pre-school age kid!

Synopsis: Stars Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Eli Roth, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, Dina Meyer, Jessica Szohr, Jerry O'Connell, Richard Dreyfuss, Kelly Brook, Cody Longo, Riley Steele, Steven McQueen, Broklynn Proulx, Paul Scheer, Bria Roberts

What's the only thing scarier than flesh-eating fish? Flesh-eating fish in 3-D! With THE HILLS HAVE EYES director Alexandre Aja at the helm, horror fans can expect less camp and more carnage in this remake of the Joe Dante film PIRANHA.

Review: Its rare that a film like Piranha 3D comes along.  We get a lot of summer blockbuster types in 3D, but the horror genre has yet to experience a huge influx, mostly due to the costly nature of the 3D tech.  Fortunately, the Weinstein brothers have our back!

Piranha 3D is an absolute gore-fest!  We're talking buckets of blood and guts.  The film is not only full of gratuitous violence, but also some cool celebrity guest stars, including Christopher Lloyd and Richard Dreyfuss.  The 3D blu-ray is fantastic!  here is absolutely no ghosting or image breakdown...this is a smooth transfer!  You should really think about investing in a 3D tv and blu-ray player if you haven't yet!  Its well worth your money.  This tech is here to stay!  Don't have a 3D player or TV yet?  Its ok, this plays in 2D blu-ray, as well.  You can buy it now and have the 3D aspect for later!

Blu-Ray 3D Bonus Material

Filmmaker Commentary, 10 Behind the Scenes Featurettes, 2D Blu-Ray Version of the film

Blu-Ray Bonus Material

Filmmaker Commentary, Deleted Scenes with optional commentary, Deleted storyboard sequences, 10 Behind the scenes featurettes, Storyboard gallery, Piranha 3D Trailer & TV Spots

DVD Bonus Material

Filmmaker commentary, 5 Behind Scenes Featurettes

Interest Range: Horror, Suspense

Synopsis: We are in the midst of the greatest era of space discovery. Twenty first-century spacecraft and sophisticated imaging technology are venturing into uncharted territory every day, and much of the extraordinary phenomena are happening right in our own cosmic backyard.

Take an exhilarating, unprecedented 3D tour of the seven most amazing wonders of our solar system, beginning with a trip to Enceladus, one of Saturn s outer moons, where icy geysers spout from its surface. Then venture to Saturn s famous rings, which contain mountain ranges that rival the Alps; dive into Jupiter s Great Red Spot, the eye of the biggest storm in the solar system; soar through the Asteroid Belt, made of millions of rocks left over from the formation of the solar system; trek up Mount Olympus, the largest volcano located on Mars; have a close encounter with the searing surface of the sun; and finish the journey by exploring our very own home planet Earth.

Review: The History Channel series "The Universe" is one of the best on television.  In fact, we just reviewed season five of the show.  Now, this one-off episode is being released on blu-ray 3D.  The big question is....does it hold up?  A lot of 3D blu-ray have too much ghosting and honestly don't live-up to the hype of the technology yet, much the way many early blu-ray releases included a lot of grain.

I can say that the 7 Wonders of the Solar System 3D blu-ray does not disappoint.  Although most of the scenes are CGI, they are still amazing.  This is a showcase blu-ray for the technology, much like the BBC Planet Earth blu-rays are a nice showcase for standard high-definition.  No 3D capable TV or blu-ray player?  Thats ok, because the smart folks at the History Channel put a 2D blu-ray version on this disc too, so all can enjoy.

Synopsis: A whole new collection of iCarly episodes are coming to DVD with iCarly: Season 2, Volume 2.  This brand-new set includes the hour-long “iFight Shelby Marx” movie, Sam’s surprising confession of having shared a kiss with Freddie, Carly’s bad-boy boyfriend dilemma and much more!  Nickelodeon’s groundbreaking hit series stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, the host of an incredibly popular teen web show. Created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, iCarly: Season 2, Volume 2 comes out on DVD Jan. 4, 2011 for the suggested retail price of $19.99.

Review: My kids make me watch a lot of crap.  A LOT.  I have found that programming geared towards tweens and young adults is mostly too dramatic or too absurd.  iCarly hits right in the middle by being not only charming, but funny and engaging....even for adults.

This DVD set is the second volume of episodes from season two.  The DVD even includes the first two episodes of season three.  The show trucks right along, having already hit a great stride with the characters and unfolding plots.  The great thing about iCarly is that you can tune into any episode in any season and get some great entertainment.  I love everyone from Carly and Sam to Carly's older brother...its all just fantastic.

The special features on this DVD include: Behind-the-Scenes Extras, Is That Me I See?, Reed For 2 Minutes with Mandy, Locker Tours and Doors To Nowhere.

iCarly: Season 2, Volume 2 Episode Synopses:

Disc 1:
iLook Alike
Carly, Sam and Freddie find some look-a-likes to cover for them so they can attend a mixed martial arts fight.

iWant My Website Back         
iCarly.com is accidentally signed over to none other than Nevel Papperman, who demands a kiss from Carly in exchange for the URL!

iMake Sam Girlier
Carly teaches Sam how to be girly in order to get her crush’s attention.

iGo Nuclear
Carly, Sam, and Freddie get an assignment to create a project that benefits the environment, and Carly ends up building an illegal nuclear-powered generator!

iDate A Bad Boy
Carly starts dating a new guy with a bad-boy rep and soon discovers a shocking secret about him.

iReunite With Missy
Carly’s old friend Missy moves back to Seattle, and Sam’s convinced she’s out to replace her as Carly’s best friend.

Disc 2:
iTake On Dingo
Carly, Sam, and Freddie head to Dingo Studios to confront the writers who have been copying iCarly material.

iMust Have Locker 239Sam and Freddie fight over the best locker in school. Meanwhile, Spencer tries to teach Carly how to be an artist.

iTwins
Sam’s twin sister, Melanie, comes to town but Freddie’s convinced the girls are just testing his gullibility.

iFight Shelby Marx
Things get insane when Shelby Marx, the best female fighter in the world, challenges Carly to an exhibition match.

iThink They Kissed
Oops! Sam accidentally reveals to Carly that she and Freddie shared a kiss!

iCook
Carly, Sam, and Freddie defeat a famous TV chef in a cooking challenge, causing him to give up cooking forever.

Interest Range: Nickelodeon, iCarly, Comedy

Synopsis: Leaping back into action, gun-slinging, guitar-toting hero "El Mariachi" is back in town in ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, as director Robert Rodriguez delivers the epic final chapter of his pulp Western trilogy. Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Enrique Iglesias and Willem Dafoe ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO is a full-frontal assault.

Review: Once Upon A Time In Mexico is the third and final film in the Mariachi trilogy (aka the Mexico trilogy, aka the Desperado trilogy).  The first two, El Mariachi and Desperado, are together on a blu-ray release (see our review on this site).

Once Upon A Time In Mexico is a masterpiece of cult action.  It not only follows-up the story of El Mariachi from Desperado and El Mariachi, but also introduces Johnny Depp in one of this most underrated roles as a CIA agent.  This film is absolutely fantastic!  The high-definition blu-ray transfer is clean, clear and free from grain.  Its suberb.  We highly recommend this one.

The special features on this blu-ray include: Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary, Ten-Minute Flick School, Inside Troublemaker Studios, Ten-Minute COOKING School, Film is Dead: An Evening with Robert Rodriguez, The Anti-Hero's Journey, The Good, the Bad and the Bloody: Inside KNB FX, Robert Rodriguez Audio Commentary, MovieIQ and The Cutting Room.

Synopsis: Deperado - Antonio Banderas, Joaquim De Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin and Quentin Tarantino star in this stylish shoot-’em-up described as a south-of-the-border Pulp Fiction, now remastered in high definition for Blu-ray™. Writer/director Robert Rodriguez follows up his legendary debut film, El Mariachi, with this sexy sequel about a mysterious guitar player (Banderas) searching for vengeance against the men who murdered his girlfriend.

El Mariachi - All he wants is to be a mariachi, like his father, his grandfather and his great grandfather before him. But the town he thinks will bring him luck brings only a curse of deadly mistaken identity. Forced to trade his guitar for a gun, the mariachi is playing for his life in this critically acclaimed film debut from writer/director Robert Rodriguez, now remastered in high definition for Blu-ray™.

Review: All three of the films in the Mariachi Trilogy (aka the Mexico trilogy, aka the Desperado trilogy) are being released on blu-ray this week!  The first two, El Mariachi and Desperado, are together on this blu-ray release. 

El Mariachi is the first action flick by now acclaimed director Robert Rodriguez back in 1992.  The film did not star Antonio Banderas as the main character of El Mariachi.  That re-cast would not happen until Desperado and would last through Once Upon a Time in Mexico.  El Mariachi is an admirable first venture and it definately has entertainment value.  Its more, in my mind, to complete the series.  Desperado is where the real "meat" is.  The high-definition transfer looks pretty good on this film.  Its difficult, because it was filmed on 16mm and later transfered to 35mm by the studio when they wanted to release it to the American market.  The film was originally made for about $7000.  Rather impressive.

Desperado is where its at!  I've been waiting to get my hands on this film on blu-ray for some time now.   This film really hit home with me as a youth.  It was the first action film that I saw that not only included spanish actors, but was really unique.  The transfer to high definition looks absolutely fantastic!  No complaints here!   This movie is full of action, explosions and phenominal gunfights!

The special features on this blu-ray include: Director Robert Rodriguez Commentary, Director's Commentary, Movie IQ, The Cutting Room, 10 Minute Film School,Robert Rodriguez's Student Film: "Bed Head",10 More Minutes: Anatomy of a Shootout,Los Lobos with Antonio Banderas - "Morena De Mi Corazón",Tito & Tarantula- "Back To The House That Love Built"

Interest Range: Action / Adventure, Drama

Synopsis: When you’re this filthy rich, it’s hard to get clean. Hollywood’s hottest young stars deliver gripping performances in this suspenseful urban crime thriller. White Mike (Chace Crawford) is a young drug dealer straddling the mean streets of Harlem and the party palaces of upper Manhattan. Mike’s double-life comes crashing down when a highly addictive new drug called “twelve” hits the streets, unleashing a shocking wave of passion and violence. Co-starring Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Emma Roberts and Ellen Barkin and directed by Joel Schumacher (Batman & Robin, A Time to Kill), this adaption of Nick McDonell’s acclaimed novel will leave you wired and breathless.

Review: Twelve is a film directed by Joel Schumacher, based on a novel by author Nick McDonell.  I generally dislike Mr. Schumacher for ruining by Batman franchise back in the 1990s, but this film definately won me over.

Twelve is essentially KIDS for a new era.  This time instead of club kid wannabes we get upper-crust spoiled rich Manhattan kids.  A large grouping of entitled little twerps that are only concerned with their own instant gratification.  We're taken with a glimpse into their world by narrator Keifer Sutherland.  Its an interesting film that includes some good characters and an even more compelling backdrop.

Hold on for the end of this one, it may surprise you.  This is a good film and definately worth the watch.  I'll let Schumacher continue making films...just stay away from Gotham City.  Please.  This DVD has no special features.

Check out the ABCs of Twelve flipbook! http://www.twelveblu-ray.com/

Synopsis: Suave secret agent Sterling Archer is the world’s most dangerous spy, but political intrigue and global crises are nothing compared to the sexual tension and human resources crises at the intelligence agency where he works. Archer must deal with his over-bearing, over-sexed mother--who is also his boss--and his femme fatale ex-girlfriend who seems to be sleeping with everyone except him. Embezzlement, mind control, hangovers, and demented double crossings--they’re all in a day’s work in this outrageously raunchy comedy!

Review: The airwaves are chock-full of inappropriate animated shows these days.  Pioneered by the Simpsons and taken further by shows like South Park, Family Guy, Futurama and American Dad, the genre has grown and grown in popularity.  This latest animated venture, by FX, really takes it a step further and basically throws a James Bond-esque spy character into 'Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia'.

I'd seen the ads for this show on the air, but I'd never tried it out prior to watching this DVD of the first season due to the animation quality . Yeah, I'm an art snob. This was a mistake.  I judged this one too quickly and on the wrong merits.  It turns out that its absolutely freaking hilarious.  I laughed so hard I cried in almost every episode.  If you enjoy inappropriate humor, this one is a gem for you.

The special features on this DVD include: Disc one -  Original Unaired Pilot and The League Pilot Episode Disc two - Unaired Network Promo, The Making Of Archer: 3D, The Making Of Archer: Animation, The Making Of Archer: Art Direction, The Making Of Archer: Backgrounds, The Making Of Archer: Illustration, The Making Of Archer: Storyboards, Deleted Scenes and Louie Pilot Episode.

Synopsis: Join Max & Ruby this winter as they play and have a fun in the snow, make gingerbread houses, and even play duck duck goose! The DVD includes 4 episodes of approximately 24 minutes in length.

Review: Max and Ruby is a long-running Nickelodeon program that appeals to kids from infancy all the way to 7 or 8 years of age.  At least in my house it does!  The great thing about this show is that it is safe.  I don't have to worry about the content or what the kids are viewing while this show is in the DVD player.

This DVD release features 4 episodes that include 3 mini episodes in each, so basically a total of 12 stories that are all winter themed.  Its a great break for parents and very entertaining for the little ones.  We highly recommend!

Synopsis: The fourth installment of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife is again based on the wildly popular video game series, and will this time be presented in 3-D. In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead - and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap.

Review: The Resident Evil film franchise has been hit and miss up to this point.  The first two films are beloved by many fans, but this reviewer was NOT impressed.  I gave the third film a chance and that is when I was hooked.  In fact, I can tell you the moment in Extinction when I became a fan...there was a zombie on the road and all of a sudden a bus rolls by and squishes it and the Iron Butterfly classic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" starts playing.  Classic moment.  And what a great and epic zombie flick with a great post-apocalyptic feel.  Due to the third film I was very excited to see Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D in theaters.

This fourth installment in the franchise was definately not a disappointment.   The film is full of zombie action and some great fight scenes.  Of note is the shower fight scene in the prison...my god that was amazing.  Its not that this film is without it's faults...the beginning with all of the Alice clones is kinda lame and the end battle with the Matrix-like villain is a bit slow, but in-between this film kicks your ass!

I saw this one in the theaters in 3D, so I have a good point of reference for the quality of the home 3D and I have to say that its completely concurrent.  The 3D looks amazing at home and is definately worth the buy.  There is absolutely no ghosting or image breakdown...this is a smooth transfer!  You should really think about investing in a 3D tv and blu-ray player if you haven't yet!  Its well worth your money.  This tech is here to stay!  Don't have a 3D player or TV yet?  Its ok, this plays in 2D blu-ray, as well.  You can buy it now and have the 3D aspect for later!

The special features on this blu-ray 3D set include: PS3 Wallpaper Theme
movieIQ™+sync and BD-Live connect you to real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie!, Undead Vision: Picture-in-Picture, Filmmaker Commentary, Deleted & Extended Scenes, Outtakes, Back Under the Umbrella: Directing Afterlife, Band of Survivors: Casting Afterlife, Undead Dimension: Resident Evil in 3D, Fighting Back: The Action of Afterlife, Vision of the Apocalypse: The Design of Afterlife, New Blood: The Undead of Afterlife and Pwning the Undead: Gamers of the Afterlife.

You can own these DVDs today.

Buy Season 1 - Buy Season 2

Season 2 Synopsis: Season 2 of BILLY THE EXTERMINATOR reunites viewers with the one and only Billy Bretherton as he tackles some of Louisiana's creepiest, craziest pest problems.

In the pest management industry for 16 years, Billy runs Vexcon the only pest removal team in the state that handles all types of animal removal with support from his wacky but lovable family: kid brother, Ricky; tough-as-nails father, Bill Sr.; sassy office manager and mom Donnie; and beloved wife, Mary. And pest removal is big business in the swamp-like state of Louisiana. This season Billy and his team attempt to capture a beaver wreaking havoc at a summer camp, search for a rattlesnake slithering around a funeral home, go head-to-head with an angry raccoon trapped in a dumpster, tangle with some ornery water moccasins and wasps, match wits with an alligator in a family pond, and confront the largest roach infestation of their careers. A former U.S. Air Force Sergeant, Billy has taken a militaristic approach to pest control and is emerging a winner.

Review: Its funny, even though I watch a lot of A&E programming I hadn't given this show a chance until I got these DVDs to check out.  The reason being?  Two-fold.  Firstly, the guy looks like a Bon Jovi reject and second I'm tired of reality shows that glorify jobs that I ethically think are terrible (like logging or the guy that eats gross food, etc).  I thought I had this show pegged, but boy was I wrong.

My wife got me to sit down and give it a chance and I must say that I was impressed.  Billy may look like a douche, but he's a really decent and kind guy.  He is an exterminator, but he only ever puts something down regretfully.  He tries his best to save the animals, which I greatly appreciate as an animal lover and avid PETA nut.  He encounters everything from bees to coons to alligators.  This show is crazy and actually really interesting.

This is a great show and I recommend seasons 1 and 2 to everyone.  I'm now a hooked viewer and I'll be tuning in for the new episodes!

You can own these seasons on DVD today!

 Buy Season 4  -  Buy Season 5

Season 4 Synopsis: Legendary rock god and multi-hyphenate Gene Simmons and his unconventional family are back and better than ever for season four of the hit A&E unscripted series GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS. This season kicks off with Sophie s sweet sixteen party, giving viewers an all-access pass to the landmark celebration. From Gene s appearance on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? and his filming of a Japanese monster flick, to Shannon preparing for a role in a roller derby exploitation film, to Nick getting his own apartment, to Sophie fending off ill-intentioned teenaged boys, follow the Simmons-Tweed clan as they set out to prove, yet again, why they are the most non-traditional, traditional family in America.

Season 5 Synopsis: Legendary rock god Gene Simmons returns with his unconventional family for another wildly entertaining season of GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS. From a major health scare for Shannon, to Sophie s high school graduation, to Gene s 60th and Nick s 21st birthdays, SEASON FIVE gives fans an unprecedented look at the many adventures and milestone moments that make the family so cohesive. Plus, with everything going on at home, KISS has been in the midst of a sold-out world tour viewers will get an all-access pass to the tour, meeting up with Gene in several cities. This season also features Nick playing with KISS members Tommy Thayer (lead guitar), Eric Singer (drums) and dad on bass at Comic-Con for the launch of his newest graphic novel, Incarnate, which Nick both wrote and drew; Sophie looking at colleges; Gene touring his roots in New York City; and a very emotional experience at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

Review: I chose to feature these two seasons together in the same review, because there isn't one season of the show that stands alone.  You shouldn't buy one particular season....you need to buy ALL seasons!   This is one of the best reality shows on television, hands down!

When I first tuned into this show is was more for curiousity and freak factor.  I'm in no way a KISS fan and I couldn't have cared less about Gene or his family.  What I ended up finding when I tuned in a few years back was one of the funniest, most lovable and entertaining families on TV!  Gene is not only a really sweet guy, but he's absolutely hilarious and kooky.  His son is a huge smart ass with great comments that bring in the laughs and his daughter is very charasmatic.  I thought the Osbournes was a great show..its got nothing on the Family Jewels.

If you love KISS, then this show is a homerun for you.  You don't have to be a fan to get into this though!  The Family Jewels will entertain anyone!   We highly recommend ALL seasons of this show!

Synopsis: After Ned returns home to say goodbye to his ailing father, disturbing memories surface of his twin sister Kate and the shocking events that led to her death. Based on the novel by Newton Thornburg.

Review: To say that Beautiful Kate is a drama is a gross understatement.  This film, set in beautifully scenic Australia, features themes of isolation, family disfunction and incest.  Its a very powerful movie that is well-acted and definately weighs on your soul.

The feature is very well made with a great natural backdrop, a nice soundtrack and very high quality acting.  We highly recommend to anyone that is a survivor of incest or is interested in a drama that deeply digs into the emotions of the topic.

Synopsis: Following a lengthy prison term, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) finds himself on the outside looking in at a world he once commanded. Hoping to repair his relationship with his daughter, Winnie (Carey Mulligan), Gekko forges an alliance with her fiancé, Jake (Shia LaBeouf). But Winnie and Jake learn the hard way that Gekko is still a master manipulator who will stop at nothing to reclaim his rightful place at the top of Wall Street.

Review: Wall Street is one of those epic films from the 1980s that has not only held-up in quality, but has never really been forgotten.  Its a cult classic of sorts and so when Money Never Sleeps was announced I put aside my usual groan when a sequel is developed decades too late and gave it a fair whirl.   The world of sequels is a dodgey one, because it can be a lot of fun to see what happens after the events in the first film to characters that you're invested in.  On the other hand, it can end up being a thinly veiled remake of the original.  Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is certainly not that type of sequel.

This film is a fantastic follow-up to a great story.  You get to see how characters evolved and we get to further analyze the character of Gekko.  This is especially interesting, because some peopel grow and seek redemption in their older age.  The main question of this film becomes...is that what Gekko is doing, or is he up to something more nefarious than ever?  Overall a great film full of remarkable twists.

The extras on this blu-ray collector's edition include: Commentary by Director Oliver Stone, A Conversation with Oliver Stone and the Cast of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Money, Money, Money: The Rise and Fall of Wall Street and Deleted and Extended Scenes.

Interest Range: Drama, Sequel

 You can own this DVD today

Synopsis: Make tracks with Battle Force 5--Vert, Agura, Stanford, Zoom, Sherman and Spinner--in a fast-paced race to save the world from destruction! This elite team of drivers racks up the miles, zipping through interdimensional Battle Zones in spectacular chases, pursued by The Vandals and The Sark, all seeking the powerful BattleKeys that unlock the portal to Earth. As BF5 teammates live by their "Never Back Down, Never Give In" pledge, their enemies become more devious. In this thrilling six-episode lineup, Vert must outwit Vandals leader Kalus on his home planet, Stanford must defeat The Sark after they infiltrate BF5's secret garage and Zoom must battle The Vandals in a cage match on a "prankster" planet. Local sci-fi nut Zeke also lends his cunning to the team when a discovery and a lightning bolt supercharge his brain with Sentient knowledge. Strap in for a pulse-pounding ride full of amazing adventures on out-of-this-world race courses with Battle Force 5!

Review: This DVD set collects the final 14 episodes of the epic kids show Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5!  This one is a huge favorite in our household.  My 6 and 8 year olds both LOVE it.  In fact, my 8 year old son has a big box of the toys too that he pulls out to watch with the show.   The kids absolutely freaked over this second half of the first season collection and put it in their DVD player immediately!  The computer-generated animation is really appealing to the little ones and they love the characters, action and storylines.  This is a great release at a great price!

Links: www.BattleForce5.com

Interest Range: Animation, Hot Wheels

Synopsis: Tis the season for the cheer and charm of the Peanuts kids - and this delight special offers five segments full of unforgettable moments. Snoopy works as a bell-ringer to raise money and tries making peace with the ferocious cat next door. Linus strives to strike the right tone in his letter to Santa - and his friendship with an indecisive girl at school. Sally's idea about gift giving and the identity of Santa may be unusual - but her strange notion about how to obtain a Christmas tree surprisingly does the job. Lucy tries awfully hard to be nice...and still coax everyone around her to buy her presents. Charlie Brown and Sally wait up for Santa (a surprisingly short man), who spreads Christmas gift cheer further than they had thought. Make merry!

Review: Its the 60th anniversary of the classic Peanuts characters and we're getting more and more DVD releases!  The cartoons have been so prolific over the years that its hard to collect them all.  Thankfully, this new 18 minute DVD captures a few tales that cannot be found anywhere else.  Its short, but sweet in these tales that not only entertain, but in true Peanuts fashion also bring an emotional reaction.  This is a great DVD that will please any collector and make parents happy.

Links: www.PeanutsDVD.com

Interest Range: Charlie Brown, Xmas, Animation

Review: The Family Guy Star Wars spoof films have been amongst the funniest I've seen.  We started with Blue Harvest and then Something, Something, Something Dark Side and now It's a Trap, which pokes fun at fan un-favorite The Return of the Jedi.  

There is always a little apprehention about whether a film like this will live-up to the previous incarnations and Seth does deliver, despite his tongue-in-cheek intro claiming that this film is no good.  Its absolutely hilarious and pokes great fun at our favorite film trilogy yet again!  From a Ralphie "double dog dare" reference to Ewoks spearing Storm Troopers to death in a bloody end, the film is non-stop hilarity.   If you love Family Guy, you already know what to expect.  If you haven't seen these and you enjoy spoofs, definately check them out.  These and the Robot Chicken Star Wars parodies are some of the best spoof films ever made.

This set comes with a blu-ray, DVD and digital copy.  My kids were SO excited to see this film they absconded with the DVD right away and my son has been bugging me to upload the digital copy to his iPod.  The blu-ray stays with mom and dad.  These packs are fantastic, and I'm so glad that Fox opted to release it in the combo format!  This was a great way to wrap-up this great trilogy.  I only wish they'd go forward and attack the prequels!  So much material!

Synopsis: In this charming, critically acclaimed tale of rumors and reputation, Olive (Emma Stone), an average high school student, sees her below-the-radar existence turn around overnight once she decides to use the school's gossip grapevine to advance her social standing. Now her classmates (Amanda Bynes, Aly Michalka) are turning against her and the school board is becoming concerned, including her favorite teacher (Thomas Haden Church) and the distracted Guidance Counselor (Lisa Kudrow). With the support of her hilariously idiosyncratic parents (Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson) and a little help from a long time crush (Penn Badgley), Olive attempts to take on her notorious new identity and crush the rumor mill once and for all.

Review: Easy A is one of those comedies that really caught me by surprise.  I figured it would look cute, but not really live up to the hype.  I think without lead actress Emma Stone the film would've been a dud, but she brings such life to the character of Olive Penderghast that you can't help but love this film.

Emma Stone breaks out in this lead role of a girl that sells pretend sex for bribes in a film that reminded me almost instantly of 'Can't Buy Me Love' from the 1980s.  The film is full of laughs and the very charasmatic Stone.  Her character is so snyde and so fun that you can't help but love her.

This film is now the reigning queen of the high school satire genre!  We highly recommend to anyone.

The special features include: movieIQ+sync (logo) and BD-Live connect you to real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie!, Extra Credit: Pop-Up Trivia Track, Commentary with Director Will Gluck and Emma Stone, The Making of Easy A
The School of Pop Culture: Movies of the Eighties, Vocabulary of Hilarity, Gag Reel, Emma Stone Audition Footage

Synopsis: Step it up to the stratosphere with Step Up 3, the eye-popping dance movie that gets your juices flowing like nothing before it. Gravity-defying routines, pulse-pounding music and heated drama take you to a dimension that's nothing less than amazing. When a tight-knit group of New York City street dancers are pitted against the best hip hop dancers in the world, it's a high stakes dance battle that'll change their lives forever. And with hot new chart-topping tracks from Flo Rida (Feat. David Guetta), Trey Songz, Wisin y Yandel and Sofia Fresh (Feat. T-Pain) - plus exclusive, dance-filled bonus features - experiencing Step Up 3 is one of the most exhilarating moves you can make. 

Review: The Step Up films have become quite a franchise and big money-maker.  This latest edition, Step Up 3, was released in 3-D in the theaters and raked in a ton of dough.  Today we're going to look at the blu-ray + DVD combo release of the film.  This set does not include the 3-D version.

All of these films center around some teen and young person drama with a backdrop of dancing.  If you're of a certain age, you've seen this film before.  An unrealistic place where all of these amazing kids go do dance like professionals in their spare time, meanwhile the place is in danger of shutting down if they can't raise a hundred grand and the kids are all on the streets instead of dancing all day!  Gasp!  What makes these films fun is the highly choreographed and very skilled dancing.  These are really fun flicks for tweens and those that enjoy dance.  I even saw elements of Capoeira in there, which is one of my favorite martial arts.
 

Overall,  a fun film and great for it's target audience. 

The special features include: 

DVD
• Extra moves (Linear Video). This music montage features the dancers with alternate angles and extra footage
• Making of the music videos (Linear Video)
• Music Videos
o "Club Can't Handle Me" - Flo Rida featuring David Guetta (3:52)
o "My Own Step (theme from Step Up 3D)" - Roscoe Dash and T-Pain, featuring Fabo (4:42)
o "Already Taken" - Trey Songz (3:58)
o "This Girl" - Laza Morgan (3:13)
o "This Instant" - Sophia Fresh featuring T-Pain (3:36)
o "No Te Quiero (Remix)" - Sophia Del Carmen featuring Pitbull (3:13)
o "Irresistible" - Wisiny Yandel (3:15)
o "Spirit of the Radio" - Jrandall (3:10) 

BD (included all DVD bonus features, plus)
• Born From A Boombox: A Luke Katcher Film (Linear Video). View the never-before-seen documentary Luke made to get into film school
• Deleted scenes (Linear Video). With intros by Director Jon M. Chu
o Club Battle (3:34 includes intro)
o Sneaker Montage (4:06 includes intro)
o Carlos Explains Redhook (1:34 includes intro)
o Jacob Tribal Story (4:32 includes intro)
o Capoeira (3:49 includes intro)
o Moose Gets "Sick" (2:52 includes intro)
o Sad Montage (3:53 includes intro)
o Opening World Jam (4:28 includes intro)
• NOTE: The 1-disc 3D Blu-ray contains the feature only; there is no bonus on the 3D Blu-ray

Synopsis: Deadly bacteria! Doomsday devices! Robotic spiders! Sound like a big budget sci-fi thriller? Nope. Even better. It’s the 5-Disc, 26-Episode Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron Complete Series Collection. Chance Furlong and Jake Clawson appear to be ordinary junkyard auto mechanics until trouble occurs in Megakat City. In a flash they fly their high-tech Turbokat toward danger as T-Bone and Razor: the Swat Kats. The city is run by the power-hungry Commander Feral and his militant team of Megakat Enforcers. Jake and Chance were once Enforcers but Feral demoted them to working in the scrap yard, where the Swat Kats were born. They take on any kind of menace from the undead sorcerer Pastmaster to lobster-like alien warlord Mutilor. The hardware-heavy action never stops in this animated fan-favorite from Hanna-Barbera Studios that’s fur-flying fun!

Review: Swat Kats was a very successful, yet often underrated and not mentioned animated series from the early 1990s.  The show ran in the Hanna BarberaThe Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera animation block from 1993-94.  In fact, it was the number one syndicated animation show of 1994.  They were going to bring it back, but the Time-Warner merger prevented that.  The Funtastic cartoon block was cancelled and a focus was placed on Cartoon Network programming instead.

The show has never been released on DVD...until now!  The Warner Archive is bringing us this great old toon.  The 5-disc set includes all 26 produced episodes of the show (there were a few unproduced ones in different stages of development at the time of cancellation).  The episodes are taken from the best possible master tapes of the show.  The DVD does not include any extras, but honestly just being able to relive this great show is enough for this reviewer.  We HIGHLY recommend picking this one up.  Its not available in stores, just by demand from the Warner Archive!