DVD Review - Call the Midwife Season Two

Call the Midwife: Season Two
Starring: Jessica Raine, Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Judy Parfitt, Miranda Hart, and featuring Vanessa Redgrave
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: June 18, 2013
ASIN: B00BIR2A3E
Retail: $39.98 ($44.98 in Canada)
Running Time: 555 minutes (plus bonus materials)
Rating: NOT RATED

Review:

Arriving in stores today on DVD & Blu-ray is the critically acclaimed BBC series Call the Midwife: Season Two. The series is created & written by Heidi Thomas, which is based on the memoirs (Call the Midwife, Shadows of the Workhouse, and Farewell to the Eastside) by the late Jennifer Worth.

Call the Midwife is set in the poverty-stricken East London in the 1950's, where Jenny Lee (played by Jessica Raine), works at the Nonnatus House, a convent that serves as a hospital for the poor. Along side her are her fellow nurses Trixie, Cynthia, Chummy, and the Sisters, Julienne, Evangelina, Bernadette and Monica Joan, who are all midwifes, but attend to other medical situations that occur around the poor neighborhoods.

Season two brings many more challenges to the midwives as each patient comes with their own problems which eventually become the midwives' problems. Nurse Chummy and her husband PC Noakes head off to Africa for missionary work, but they later return with life changing news. Sister Monica Joan's age is quickly catching up with her. Sister Bernadette has a health crisis as she struggles with her feelings for Dr. Turner. Jenny’s best-friend, Jimmy, is getting married, which stirs past feelings for her.

Call the Midwife: Season Two; Jenny Lee (Jessica Raine)

DVD Review - Power Rangers Super Samurai: Vol. 4: Secret of the Red Ranger

Power Rangers Super Samurai: Vol. 4: Secret of the Red Ranger
Starring: Alex Heartman, Najee De-Tiege, Enika Fong, Hector David Jr., Britney Anne Pritle, Steven Skyler
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: June 11th, 2013
ASIN: B00BYYWANG
Run Time: 92 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review: 

Wow! I can't believe it has been nearly twenty years since the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers aired on television. The newest spin-off Power Rangers Megaforce is currently on hiatus, but new and old fans can look forward to the DVD Power Rangers Super Samurai: Vol. 4: Secret of the Red Ranger, which will be out in stores this Tuesday, June 11, 2013!

Master Xandred returns to Earth to destroy Serrator, who betrayed him, and of course he plans on destroying the Samurai Ranger, but he returns to the Netherworld in defeat. The Samurai Rangers have no time to rest as Serrator plans on destroying them with the help of a bug spraying Pestilox, giant Spitfangs, twin Papyrux, and a new Nighlok monster, Fiera. The Samurai Ranger's Shogun ancestors and mega modes may not be enough to survive the battle. Their only hope is for the Red Ranger (Jayden) to unveil his deepest secret, his sister.

DVD Review: Dora Rocks! (Dora the Explorer)

Dora Rocks! (Dora the Explorer)
Studio: Nickelodeon
Release Date: June 4, 2013
ASIN: B00B8COD4S
Retail $14.98
Run Time: 69 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review: 

It is hard to believe that Dora the Explorer has been on the air for nearly thirteen years with 118 episodes and counting. Nickelodeon is releasing Dora the Explorer: Dora Rocks! on DVD today.

Dora the Explorer was created by Christ Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner, and is about a seven-year-old Latina heroine, who explores imaginative regions of the worlds, like jungles, beaches, and rainforests.

The three episodes on this single disc release are:

DVD Review - YOGA for Strength & Energy

YOGA for Strength & Energy 
Studio: Acorn Media
Release Date: November 20, 2012
ASIN: B005GYXO76
Run Time: 57 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

Memorial Day officially kicks off the start of summer (though the actual first day of summer is June 21). For those of us who still haven't worked off those unwanted winter pounds, this means we'll have to try to work off those extra pounds with gardening, mowing the yard, going on hikes, etc. Last year, I started a high intensity workout program, which resulted in some knee pains and a strained back. Therefore, I have been looking into workouts that will help me fix those troubled areas.

Recently, I had a chance to review the Yoga for Strength & Energy from Acorn Media, who sent me a free copy in exchange for my honest review. The yoga workout is instructed by a Canyon Ranch instructor consisting of two full workouts, a cool down, and a bonus stretch workout, which are intended to increase your strength; help you stretch, tone and sculpt your body, all while you burn calories and build muscles.

The workouts on this DVD are:

DVD Review - 4 Movie Collection: Bingo/ Race the Sun/ My Stepmother is an Alien/ Little Secrets

4 Movie Collection: Bingo/ Race the Sun/ My Stepmother is an Alien/ Little Secrets
Directors: Matthew Robbins, Charles T. Kanganis, Richard Benjamin, Blair Treu
Starring: Cindy Williams, Halle Berry, James Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Kim Basinger, Evan Rachel Wood
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: May 7, 2013
ASIN: B00BUWD7RK
Retail: $9.98
Run Time: 6hrs 33mins
Rating: PG, PG-13

Review:

Mill Creek Entertainment has been releasing many 4 Movie Collections this year and one of their releases this month contained four family movies - Bingo, Race the Sun, My Stepmother is an Alien, and Little Secrets; which I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. 

Bingo is low-budget Problem Child version of Benji that was released back in 1991 when I was ten-years old. I remember seeing a few advertisements for the movie, but I never saw it until last week. After being kicked out of the circus, Bingo rescues Chuckie, who then sneaks the dog into his house. The following the day, Chuckie learns that his father has been traded to the Green Bay Packers, therefore the family is moving and Bingo gets left behind, well not really, as the dog travels across the country to find the boy. Despite being rated PG, the humor is really juvenile, and I don't recommend it for younger children.

Race the Sun is a 1996 film loosely based on the true story of the Konawaena High School Solar Car Team, the first high school team to complete the World Solar Challenge, and starred Halle Berry, James Belushi, Casey Affleck, and Eliza Dushku. It didn't do well at the box-office. The movie is predictable at times, but it's a likeable fluff.

DVD Review - Doctor Who: Series Seven, Part Two

Doctor Who: Series Seven, Part Two
Starring: Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 28, 2013
ASIN: B00BXTH49M
Retail: $24.98
Running Time: 360 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon.com

Review:

The legendary Doctor Who turns fifty-years-old this November and it is the time to catch up with the second half of series seven with the two-disc DVD of Doctor Who: Series Seven - Part Two out in stores today.

Picking up where the 2012 Christmas special, The Snowmen, ended, The Doctor tracks down the modern day version of Clara Oswin Oswald, aka The Impossible Girl, who just happens to need his help to stop the Great Intelligence. The Doctor is intrigue with Clara as she doesn't remember ever meeting him before. He takes her on a several adventures across the universe and across time in the TARDIS, but waiting in the shadows is the Doctor's darkest secret.

Doctor Who, Season 7, Episode 10, Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) and the Doctor (Matt Smith)

Photo Credit: 

Ray Burmiston/Adrian Rogers, ©BBC WORLDWIDE

The episodes on the two-disc set are:

DVD Review - Doctor Who: The Snowmen

Doctor Who: The Snowmen
Starring: Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman
Studio: BBC Warner
Release Date: May 28, 2013
ASIN: B00CENXWA6
Run Time: 60 minutes 
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review: 

The 2012 Doctor Who Christmas Special is finally making its way onto DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013, which introduces Jenna-Louise Coleman as the Doctor's new companion, Clara Oswin Oswald, or otherwise known as the Impossible Girl.


After losing his previous companions, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, the Doctor has parked the TARDIS above London in the year 1892. He's still grieving and would prefer to be alone, in which his allies, Vastra, Jenny, and Strax, keep others from seeking his help. That is until a barmaid, Clara Oswin Oswald, accuses him of building a snowman in front of her workplace. He ignores her and instructs Strax to erase her memory with a memory worm, but the snowmen appear out of nowhere.

Doctor Who: The Snowmen, Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) and the Doctor (Matt Smith) 

Adrian Rogers, ©BBC/BBC WORLDWIDE

 

 

Clara flees to her other job as a governess to Captain Latimer's children, but she will once again cross paths with the Doctor, who can't quite figure out where he has seen her before. The ghastly snowmen return along with an icy ex-governess, all leading to return of one of the Doctor's oldest enemies, the Great Intelligence.

 Bonus features on the DVD are:

• Clara's White Christmas - Behind-the-scenes of The Snowmen. (3.5 minutes)
• Vastra Investigates - A three-minute prequel to The Snowmen.
• Children in Need Special: The Great Detective - A three-minute prequel to The Snowmen.

Doctor Who: The Snowmen, Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Commander Strax (Dan Starkey), and Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart)

Adrian Rogers, ©BBC/BBC WORLDWIDE

 

 

Doctor Who is celebrating its 50th anniversary this November, though I have only been aware of the program since 2006 when I watched Series One of the new incarnation on the Sci-Fi Channel (now known as SyFy). I became a fan by the end of the first episode. Since the end of Series Four, the series has aired on BBC America, which isn't offered through my local cable company. Therefore, I have patiently awaited each new DVD release, which I prefer as I can watch the episodes back-to-back.

The Snowmen runs about sixty-minutes and it feels more like a feature film than a television episode. The snowmen special effects look great and at times are a little frightening. Introducing the old enemy, the Great Intelligence, is pure genius, especially with Sir Ian McKellen as the voice. Jenna-Louise Coleman is a perfect as the new companion Clara Oswin Oswald and adds a bit of mystery for the Doctor to unravel. The new TARDIS design looks great as well as the new opening credits. The Snowmen is now my favorite Doctor Who Christmas special. I highly recommend it to others.

*Disclaimer - I received a free DVD in exchange for my honest review.

DVD Review - Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Best of Walden

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Best of Walden
Studio: Starz/ Anchor Bay
Release Date: April 9, 2013
ASIN: B00AQSN6OI
Retail: $14.98
Run Time: 70 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

This year I have had the chance to watch a few new cartoons that I have never heard of before. Last weekend, I watched the DVD Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Best of Walden, which I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! aired from 2006 to 2010 on Nick Jr., totaling fifty-two episodes (two segments per episode) and two movies.

The Best of Walden DVD features six episodes about Wubbzy's friend Walden, who is the bookish, kindhearted, science nerd of the series. In these six twelve-minute episodes, Walden bakes a marshmallow lasagna, finds a strange elephant-like-creature in his yard, catches the Chickenitis, collects figgety-fig leaves, learns how to swim and how to be cool.

The episodes on the single disc are:

DVD Review - Bubble Guppies: Sunny Days!

Bubble Guppies: Sunny Days!
Studio: Nickelodeon
Release Date: May 28, 2013
ASIN: B00BP0LZK8
Retail: $16.99
Run Time: 138 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

• Full Screen Format
• Dolby Digital - English Stereo

Review:

The animated hit Bubbles Guppies is coming to DVD on May 28th, 2013 titled Sunny Days!  Featuring six episodes, just in time for summer vacation.

The series is in the underwater city of Bubbletucky, where Gil, Goby, Deema, Molly, Oona, and Nonny as they go on amazing adventures. Each episode follows a familiar pattern with Molly chatting with another character who is doing something related to the episode's theme. Then one of the two shouts, "It's time for Bubble Guppies!"

The DVD episodes are:

DVD Review - 4 Movie Collection: The Return of the Vampire/ The Revenge of Frankenstein/ Mr. Sardonicus/ The Brotherhood of Satan

4 Movie Collection: The Return of the Vampire/ The Revenge of Frankenstein/ Mr. Sardonicus/ The Brotherhood of Satan
Directors: Lew Landers, Terence Fisher, William Castle, Bernard McEveety
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Peter Cushing, Oscar Homolka, Strother Martin
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: May 7, 2013
ASIN: B00BUWD7Q6
Retail: $9.98
Running Time: 5 hrs 41 mins
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

I've been a die hard horror fan since around eight or nine-years-old, which I don't recommend for anyone at the age, but I somehow connected with scary films, good or bad. I was more than excited when Mill Creek Entertainment recently released four classic Columbia Pictures horror movies onto a 2-disc set, which I received free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

The most famous Dracula movie was the 1931 version starring Bela Lugosi, which launched a franchise for Universal Studios; though Bela only appeared in one film (I'm not counting the Abbot and Costello movie). He returned as a Dracula-like vampire named Armand Tesla in the 1943 The Return of the Vampire. The movie was attended to be a direct-sequel to Dracula, but Columbia Pictures didn't own the franchise, therefore the character's name was changed. The plot focuses on two scientists driving a railroad stake through the vampire's heart. He is entombed for nearly two decades, along with his werewolf servant, A Nazi bomb frees him from the tomb and he takes revenge of the scientists' family. The movie is a pretty good vampire flick, much better than the campy Universal Studio's sequels.

"It Ain't Your MaMa's YOGA!"

After having a few back strains from doing high intensity exercises, I started looking into alternative workouts, such as yoga. I've never been the biggest the fan of yoga, mostly because I'm inflexible, but I did a few downward dog routines and it helped my back.

For the past month, I have been trying out the new workout program called DDP Yoga, which I received free of charge in exchange for my honest thoughts. I received the workout kit fairly quickly by USPS, which contained four DVDs in two cardboard sleeves, a reference wall chart featuring all the basic moves, and a fitness guide book.

DDP Yoga was created by the former WCW and WWF wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, famous for his finishing Diamond Cutter move. He suffered from many wrestling injures, which would normally result in a wrestler retiring, but instead he tried doing yoga and got back into fighting shape. Now, he has created a 13-week program to help others get into shape.

The workouts included in this program are:

DVD Review - Texas Chainsaw

Texas Chainsaw
Director: John Luessenhop
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Trey Songz, Scott Eastwood, Tania Raymonde, Shaun Sipos, Keram Malicki-Sánchez
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: May 14, 2013
ASIN: B00BM4Q4H6
Running Time: 92 minutes
Rating: R

Review: 
 Its been thirty-nine years since Leatherface first revved up his chainsaw in Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre followed by two sequels and two remakes with the latter getting a prequel. The franchise seemed to be dead until this year's 3D release of Texas Chainsaw. It completely ignores the sequels and remakes, but it is a direct sequel to the 1974 original.

Honestly, I don't know what all the hype is about the original movie. I saw it once on Showtime when I was a teenager and I thought it was pretty tame compared to other slasher films. The first sequel is tolerable, while the third movie tried to be both a sequel and a remake, which was a complete disaster. The Next Generation starring Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey was a modern day remake (though some consider it to be a loose sequel) that was shelved for three years until it was released direct-to-video. I prefer to watch the gritty 2003 remake starring Jessica Biel or even the pointless prequel.

The 3D sequel/reboot takes place directly after the original movie with the police and mob surrounding the Sawyer farmhouse, demanding them to give up Leatherface. The Sawyers attempted to give Leatherface up, but the mob of Newt, Texas burn down the farmhouse with the Sawyers in it. The only two surviving member was a baby, Edith, which was taken in by a couple and Verna Carson.

DVD Review - 4 Movie Collection: Anatomy/ Anatomy 2/ Double Vision/ April Fool's Day

4 Movie Collection: Anatomy/ Anatomy 2/ Double Vision/ April Fool's Day
Directors: Steven Ruzowitzky, Chen Kuo Fu, The Butcher Brothers
Starring: Franka Potente, David Morse, Tony Lueng
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: May 7, 2013
ASIN: B00BUWD7NY
Running Time: 6 hours 42 minutes
Rating: R/ Not Rated

Review:

One of my favorite movies from my childhood was the 1986 horror comedy April Fool's Day. I was unaware that there was a direct-to-DVD remake released in 2008, but I recently watched it in the 4 Movie Collection: Anatomy/ Anatomy 2/ Double Vision/ April Fool's Day from Mill Creek Entertainment, which I received free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

April Fool's Day (2008) stars Josh Henderson (TNT's Dallas) and Scout Taylor Compton (Rob Zombie's Halloween I & II) and it barely resembles the original as it drops most the fun and turns it into a slow contemporized slasher film. The plot rip-offs other horror movies: A year after a prank goes wrong at the annual April Fool's Day party, the Cartier siblings and their friends are being tormented by a crazed killer. There are a few twists and turns leading to an offbeat ending. Despite its unoriginal plot, it is still better than the other pointless remakes, like Prom Night.

Double Vision stars David Morse and Tony Leung Ka-fai in this Chinese thriller, which contains mostly English subtitles. Huang Huo-tu has lost the respect of his friends and co-workers. His young daughter is mentally ill, due to being in a hostage situation, and his wife is filing for divorce. He takes a job as a Foreign Affairs Officer, where he teams up with FBI agent Kevin Richter to try to solve a string of bizarre murders, all which lead them to suspect that some kind of supernatural force is involved in the killings. I have seen many horror movies, but this movie is strange. Running at nearly two hours, the pacing was a little slow for me, though I did end up liking it.

DVD Review - Power Rangers Samurai: Volume 4: The Sixth Ranger

Power Rangers Samurai: Volume 4: The Sixth Ranger
Starring: Alex Heartman, Najee De-Tiege, Enika Fong, Hector David Jr., Britney Anne Pritle, Steven Skyler,
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: May 14, 2013
ASIN: B00BICASSI
Run Time: 92 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

It is almost hard to believe that the Power Rangers franchise is twenty-years-old this year. I think I was in the sixth grade when the original was on television. Just writing about it makes me feel old.

As Power Rangers Megaforce takes a hiatus on Nickelodeon, Lionsgate is releasing volume four of the Power Rangers Samurai titled The Sixth Ranger which will be released this Tuesday, May 14, 2013. I received an advanced copy free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

From left to right: The Gold Ranger ("Antonio," far left), the Pink Ranger ("Mia," left), the Green Ranger ("Mike," left center), the Red Ranger ("Jayden," center), the Blue Ranger ("Kevin," right center) and the Yellow Ranger ("Emily," right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment's Power Rangers Samurai: The Sixth Ranger - Volume 4.

The release introduces Antonio Garcia (played by Steven Skyler) as the Gold Ranger in four action packed episodes. At first glance he looks the average young fisherman and tech junkie, but as a young child he trained side by side with the Red Ranger, Jayden. Though he isn't a Samurai descent, he made a promise to Jayden to help the Samurais if needed, which isn't easy as he must prove himself to the other Rangers and to their sensei, Ji.

DVD Review - Team Umizoomi: Animal Heroes

Team Umizoomi: Animal Heroes
Studio: Nickelodeon
Release Date: May 14, 2013
ASIN: B00BHWG1NU
DVD SRP: $14.99
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 91 minutes 
Features: Full Screen Format, Dolby Digital - English Stereo

Review: 

On May 14th, 2013, Nickelodeon will be releasing Team Umizoomi: Animal Heroes on DVD, featuring four exciting episodes, which I received an advanced copy free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

The preschooler series debuted in 2010 and is more popular than ever. Team Umizoomi blends animation with live-action characters. The main characters are the animated tiny superheroes, Milli (Her powers are related to patterns and measuring.), Geo (Milli's younger brother. His power is the ability to read geometric shapes.), and Bot (a robot). The group goes on action-adventures (interacting with the audience). Typically, they help a friend find a lost item.

The episodes on this release are:

DVD Review - Exhale: Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners

Exhale: Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners
Instructors: Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito
Studio: Acorn Media
ASIN: B00BEZECEA
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Run Time 70 minutes, plus turtorials
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

My New Year's Resolution is to have a new me by the end of the year, which involves exercising. I'm not the most flexible person thanks to my lower back and knee problems, which has led me to try out new workouts. Most recently I've been trying out the Exhale: Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners, which I received an advanced complementary copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was already aware of other Barre workout programs that are targeted for ballets and dancers, which I'm neither as I'm unbalanced, but the "for beginners" in the workout title caught my attention and I thought I would give it a try.

Core Fusion was created by the husband and wife team of Fred DeVito and Elizabeth Halfpapp and they also own the Exhale mind body spas. Don't let the word Barre fool you as this DVD is aimed for anyone, even the non-athletics like me.

DVD Review - Flash Gordon: The Complete Series

Flash Gordon: The Complete Series
Starring: Eric Johnson, Gina Holden, Karen Cliche, Jody Racicot
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: April 16, 2013
ASIN: B00BHLTIXQ
Discs: 4
Features: None
Run Time: 963 minutes
Rating:  TV-14

Review: 

Flash Gordon was a popular 1930's comic strip by Alex Raymond and ended its run in 2003. In 1935 it became a weekly radio series. The comic made its way onto the small screen in the live-action 1954-1955 series and the animated 1979-1980 series. Three more short-lived cartoon series followed in 1982, 1986, and 1996. Flash even made it on the big screen in forty serials between 1936 and 1940. The comic is more famously known for the 1980 box-office flop that featured a soundtrack by Queen, but over the years it has been become a cult classic.

Flash Gordon returned to television on Sci-Fi (now known as SyFy) for the 2007-2008 live-action series. It was released on DVD in Canada in 2009, but it was unavailable in the United States until Mill Creek Entertainment released it on DVD on Tuesday, which I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The series followed Flash Gordon's quest to find his lost scientist father, who had disappeared when Flash was only a thirteen-year-old. His father's former assistant Dr. Hans Zarkov informs him that his father didn't disappear. His father had found a rift between space and traveled to another world called Mongo. Along with his ex-girlfriend reporter Dale Arden, Flash travels to Mongo, a world ruled by the dictator Ming, who controls Mongo's only water supply. Flash and Dale soon befriend Baylin, who helps them try to stop Ming.

The episodes on the DVD set are:

DVD Review - Once Upon a Rhyme

Once Upon a Rhyme
Studio: Nickelodeon
Release Date: April 30th, 2013
ASIN: B00BAXTYBM
DVD SRP: $14.99
Run Time: 139 minutes
Rated: NOT RATED
Features: Full Screen Format; Dolby Digital - English Stero

Review:

Nickelodeon will be releasing Once Upon a Rhyme on DVD on April 30, 2013 featuring the most popular nursery rhyme episodes from Bubble Guppies, Team Umizoomi, The Fresh Beat Band, Dora the Explorer, The Wonder Pets!, and Blue's Room.

I'm not too familiar with the programs aimed for pre-schoolers, but I was aware of Dora the Explorer and Blue's Room, but the other four shows are new to me. Nickelodeon nicely sent me a complimentary early copy for this review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bubble Guppies is completely new to me. The series takes place in the underwater city Bubbletucky. This release features the episode "Who's Gonna Play the Big Bad Wolf", where Deema finds her passion for acting when she fills in as the Big Bad Wolf for the production of The Three Little Pigs.

In the episode Umi City Treasure Hunt from the series Team Umizoomi, Milli, Geo and Bolt find a treasure map and go on a treasure hunt all across Umi City. This is a cute episode with lots of adventure, plus it is also educational.

The Fresh Beat Band is the only live-action series on this release, featuring the episode "Royal Wedding", where the band is excited about the upcoming Royal Wedding, but the wedding may never happen as the Princess has a crush on their fellow band member, Twist. The episode reminds me of S Club 7, only sillier. I'm sure children will love the catchy music.

DVD Review - Kenya Moore: Booty Boot Camp

Kenya Moore: Booty Boot Camp
Studio: Acorn Media (Acacia)
Release Date: March 5, 2013
ASIN: B00BEZEFM4
Running Time: Approx. 90 min.
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

You may wonder why a man would be reviewing a workout intended for women. Well, I have lower-back problems, so I thought I would try out a workout that targets the gluteus maximus muscle. There aren't a whole lot of workout DVDs aimed for men, unless you count the high intensity ones, which aren't good for my back. Acacia nicely sent me a free copy of Kenya Moore" Booty Boot Camp in exchange for my honest review. Kenya Moore is a former Miss USA and is currently on the reality program The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which I have never watched before. Actually, I've never heard of Kenya before this workout DVD.

The workout DVD consist of a warm-up, a level 1 workout, a level 2 workout, a level 3 workout, a short cool-down, and a cool-down with additional ab-flattening workout. You don't have to play all the workouts straight through, as you can easily use the menu to pick out which ones you want to try out for the day. No weights are needed, but you do need to use a rug or yoga mat for the floor work.

Despite what the title suggests Kenya isn’t the instructor here, though she does take over for a few routines. The real instructor is Nikki Veal who teaches simple moves that are suppose to shrink your waist, define your abs and give you a butt lift.

DVD Review - The 10th Kingdom

The 10th Kingdom
Director:
Starring: Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Scott Cohen, John Larroquette, Dianne Wiest
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: March 19, 2013
ASIN: B00B04NIZO
Retail: $9.98
Number of Discs: 3
Running Time: 444 minutes
Rating: TV-PG
Buy Link: Mill Creek Direct, Amazon

Review:

Before One Upon A Time magically dazzled the television screens, there was an underrated miniseries called The 10th Kingdom that aired in five-parts on NBC in February 2000. With a stunning cast with Diane West, Ed O'Neill, Camryn Manheim, John Larroquette, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Ann-Margret, Rutger Hauer, and Scott Cohen, one would think this lavish event would be a ratings goldmine, but sadly it received low-ratings despite the fact that it garnered good reviews from critics and viewers.

The miniseries was previously released onto a single VHS, a two tapes VHS set (several scenes were removed), a three disc DVD set, and later a single double-sided DVD, all which are out-of-print. Mill Creek Entertainment recently released a three disc DVD set of The 10th Kingdom, in which I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The 10th Kingdom's plot twisted the classic fairy tales. In the opening, the Evil Queen escapes prison and turns Prince Wendell (the Queen's stepson and the grandson of the late Snow White) into a dog, who quickly escapes through a magic mirror and ends up in modern day New York. The Queen sends Wolf and three trolls after him. The Prince quickly crosses path with a young waitress, Virginia Lewis, along with her janitor father, Anthony Lewis. The Wolf's plans of capturing the prince comes to a halt when he lays eyes on the lovely Virginia, who he instantly falls madly in love with her. He joins Virginia, Anthony, and the Prince when they are forced to into the magic mirror and travel to the Nine Kingdoms. Many dangers and mysteries await them as they try to defeat the wicked queen, restore the Prince back into his body, and find a way home.