If you saw The Boxtrolls in the theater, you will enjoy the Blu-Ray or DVD even more with lots of fun behind-the-scenes information and interviews AND, of course, the movie itself is fun to watch over and over, as only kids can do! It has the interest and intrigue parents and kids can enjoy. For an interactive adventure, head over to The Boxtrolls website where a number of clever resources are available.

My favorite part of The Boxtrolls is of course the cheese – ‘cuz I luv cheese! If you haven’t seen The Boxtrolls, you’ll have to watch to know what I’m talking about.

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About The Boxtrolls:

Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, the Boxtrolls are unique creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs in a fantastical charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when the evil Archibald Snatcher schemes to capture Eggs’ family, it’s up to Eggs and his feisty new friend Winnie to save the Boxtrolls!

Starring, in voice performance, Academy Award® winner Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright (Game of Thrones), and Elle Fanning (Maleficent), the new movie from animation studio LAIKA, the makers of the Academy Award®-nominated Coraline and ParaNorman, comes to Blu-ray™ 3D and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD & DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet on January 20, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Bonus Features Exclusive to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack 

• PRELIMINARY ANIMATIC SEQUENCES

o    Play with Commentary by Directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable

o    Baby In The Trash

o    Eggs In The Underworld

o    Man On A Horse

o    Trubshaw’s Inventorium

o    Cheese Shop

o    Tea And Cheese

Trailer:

Over the break, I enjoyed reviewing the movie The Identical featuring Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, and Blake Rayne. I have always enjoyed Liotta, Judd, Pantoliano and Green in movies and they don’t disappoint in this one but the real credit goes to the star of the movie, Blake Rayne, who must play the dual roles of twin brothers who grow up with different lives and follow different paths in life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns in this movie that made it fun to watch without all of the crudeness entertainment of today seems to need to add to get an audience. I felt The Identical was well researched in regards to what people wore and how they lived and thought. This is a great movie for the whole family that everyone will enjoy but which also may allow for some interesting discussions between parents and their kids.

ABOUT The Identical:

The Identical is a redemptive movie about a young man, the son of a preacher, who rejects his father’s desire for him to join the ministry and instead embarks on a career as a rock singer. As he struggles to pursue his dream and rise to stardom, he finds love, pain, success, failure and ultimately uncovers a hidden family secret that reveals who he really us. The Identical is a captivating story about a family restored and a life discovered that lifts your soul and warms your heart.

Rated PG / Approx. 107 minutes

Releases on DVD January 13,  2015
Trailer:

Ever wonder what happened after …  not just after the Christmas story of baby Jesus celebrated at Christmas but after Jesus’s life on Earth, after his death and resurrection that we remember at Easter? In this last year’s movie Son of God, we saw a graphic presentation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, the  Bible doesn’t stop there and neither did producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. Read about the A.D. series coming to your T.V. this Spring and watch the trailer below. It doesn’t disappoint!

ABOUT THE AD SERIES:

From the renowned producing team of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett comes A.D. on NBC – a landmark television event continuing where The Bible series left off.

A.D. starts with the Crucifixion and The Resurrection –catalysts that altered history. What follows is the epic tale of “A.D.” chronicling several of the most intense and tumultuous decades in history. The complicated birth of the early Church was a time filled with enormous faith, persecution, political intrigue, brutal Roman oppression and the desperate Jewish revolt. The entire world was transformed, and the course of human history would be forever changed.

A.D. tells its story through the eyes of the Apostles, Pilate, Caiaphas, the Jewish Zealots and the Herod family. With the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters as its foundation plus some artful use of history, A.D. shows why little has changed in two thousand years, but the church continues to change the world.

This Easter Sunday, April 5th, 2015, join millions of viewers for the premiere of A.D. and continue on a 12-week journey through what would become the most powerful global movement in history – the rise of the Church.

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It’s that time of year when you start looking for that ONE gift that you know the majority of your shopping list would love to have and then you buy several sets or items or pieces, perhaps in different colors or styles to break it up a bit. Some years you get lucky and there’s some new gadget or new line of jewelry you can explore. Other years, it’s easier to buy something completely different for each person.

This week, I received a pair of Isotoner Signature Women’s Woodlands Sonja Microsued Hoodback Slippers for review (whew – that’s a title). I think my shopping was just taken care of! I mean I still need to buy pairs for everyone (since they aren’t getting mine!) The only disadvantage of having one pair of these awesome slippers is that my daughters both have the same size shoe and regularly raid my closet. But, that’s why I am loving that they come in a variety of colors so I can get pairs for everyone and the present will still be slightly different under the Christmas tree.

On the Totes-Isotoner website, Isotoner Sonja slippers come in the following colors: Ash, Black, Buckskin (which you see pictured here – and, yes, I really do have two feet – left foot not pictured), Chili Pepper, Chocolate, Navy Blue and Vino. The slippers include a comfortable ResponsIV™ Memory Foam Plus that molds to your feet for comfort and extra EVA heel cushion to absorb impact. The Signature line comes with a smartZONE2™ Gel Comfort Technology that provides long-lasting comfort and helps prevent breakdown. One of my daughters noted that she liked that it wasn’t actually furry inside because slippers with fur inside get your feet too sweaty and they get stinkier faster.

Overall, I am very pleased with the Isotoner Sonjas. They have a durable sole for slipping on a shoe to run out in the cold and get the mail or stand outside with the dog or go warm up the car. They are also great for wearing around the house on cold mornings.

The Isotoner Sonja is available at Macy’s. It’s also available online at Amazon for $30: Isotoner Women’s Microsuede Sonja Woodlands Hoodback Slipper in Ash, Buckskin, Dark Chocolate, and Chili Pepper.

Nik Wallenda takes on the Windy City — blindfolded and it’s airing Sunday, 11/2 at 7:00 PM EST (4pm PT) on Discovery Channel. Here’s the trailer to get you pumped! Can he do it? www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAU5U3mMn0w See more on the website Skyscraper Live and follow the fun on Twitter with #SkyscraperLive  @NikWallenda ABOUT: NIK WALLENDA is known as “The King of the High Wire.” He is the seventh generation of the legendary Great Wallendas and began walking the wire at age four. Nik stunned the world when he crossed the Grand Canyon untethered in 2013. His next walk, high across the windy Chicago skyline, is a feat no one else could dream of.

NEWSIES is opening at the Academy of Music this Tuesday, October 28th and staying through Sunday, November 2nd!

An extra-special KIDS NIGHT is happening on Halloween hosted by BEN-FM’s Marilyn Russell on the steps of the Academy featuring a photo booth, Halloween goodies and a performance by dancers from the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. You can save 50% on select seats that night!

Buy your tickets to Newsies any night now! (I’ll be there Wednesday!  Yay!)

ABOUT Newsies: 

They delivered the papers, until they made the headlines… Direct from Broadway comesNewsies, the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony Awards® for Best Score and Best Choreography, Newsies, has audiences and critics alike calling it “a musical worth singing about!” (The New York Times) Filled with one heart-pounding number after another, it’s a high-energy explosion of song and dance you just don’t want to miss.

Based on true events, Newsies tells the captivating story of a band of underdogs who become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in New York. It’s a rousing tale about fighting for what’s right…and staying true to who you are. Newsies was brought to the stage by an award-winning creative team. It features a score by Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast) and Jack Feldman (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride) and a book by Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), with choreography by Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific) and direction by Jeff Calhoun (Big River).