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.

• 5. A Christmas Story - This 1983 film is based on the short stories by Jean Shepherd (who also does the film's narration) and is played for twenty-fours straight on TBS around Christmastime. I've seen the movie probably a half dozen times before I found out that my parents had never seen the movie before. I bought it on DVD  several years ago and made them watch it. My dad didn't care for it, but mom thought it was funny. I think every kid can related to what Ralphie went through just to get that perfect gift that he dreamed of.

• 4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - I remember going with my parents and grandparents to see Christmas Vacation at the theater back in 1989 (Just writing this makes me feel old.). It is the third film out four of the National Lampoon Vacation series and it is the best out of the sequels. It later spawned a spin-off sequel with Cousin Eddie, but it was dreadful to watch. Christmas Vacation is played to death thanks to CMT and Comedy Central. I would rather watch the unedited version on DVD. 

When my parents first got a VCR in the 1980s, my mom recorded all the Christmas animated specials, with the commercials taken out, onto one VHS tape. I would watch it every year during the holidays until a certain age when I lost interest in cartoons. As an adult, I attempted to watch these classics on basic television, but I was disappointed that some of my favorite scenes were deleted in exchange for advertisement. Over the years I have bought most of these childhood classics on DVD.

Honorable mentions that didn't make the list are: How a Grinch Stole Christmas, Bah, HumDuck!: A Looney Tunes Christmas, Pluto's Christmas Tree, and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. 

• 5. A Charlie Brown Christmas - This is one of the few Christmas specials that is still aired every year and is one that drove my mom crazy when I was young because she found Charlie Brown to be annoying. After forty-seven-years since it debuted, it still receives millions of viewers. It is one of the few cartoons that gives kids the real meaning of Christmas.

• 5. Christmas with the Kranks - I saw the movie when it originally came out back in 2004, which is based on the non-lawyer novel by John Grisham. The movie centers on the Kranks (played by Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis), who decide to skip the holidays and take a trip instead. Yes, it is predictable, but it has its funny moments.

• 4. The Santa Clause - I saw this movie starring Tim Allen eighteen-years-ago at the theater with my parents. I later owned a VHS version, but it went bad many years ago. Every year I look for it on DVD, but I could only find it in a 3-pack with the second and third films, which I already own on DVD. Luckily, I finally found The Santa Clause on DVD this year for ten dollars and it is just a funny as I remember it. 

Every Perfect Gift
A Hickory Ridge Romance
By: Dorothy Love
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub. Date: December 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-1595549020
ASIN: B008GVYWC2
Pages: 320

Review:

I missed out reading the first book in A Hickory Ridge Romance series, but I did read the second book, Beauty for Ashes, which wasn't my kind of read. Why did I agree to review Every Perfect Gift courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review? Actually, I didn't realize that the book was part of the series. I've been in a Christmas mood and the beautiful cover reminded me of the holidays. That being said, I eagerly signed up to review it.

Set in 1886, Sophie Caldwell returns to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, where she grew up in an orphanage. She never knew who her parents were and her slightly dark complication made her an easy target of bullying from other children at the orphanage. Luckily, she was adopted by a loving couple, Wyatt and Ada Caldwell, and moved to Texas, but she has returned to Hickory Ridge to start a new life and maybe find some resolution to her past.

Meanwhile, Tessa Woods has spent years in the clutches of the Master. She is now an adult and tries to protect the other children who have also been kidnapped. She prays that someone will save her. Her prayers are answered when Riley goes undercover as Buzz Smith, one of the kidnappers from the previous book. Tessa believes that Riley is here to save her and the children.

I was excited when I saw there was a new Colby book out. I enjoyed reading Colby Bass last week. Colby Core goes by fast, as it continues the plotline of human trafficking network. There is a lot of action and suspense. I did not care much for the main hero, Riley. He was just there doing his job, I never got a real feel for his character. Tess is the best character out of this installment. Despite all the horrors that she has encountered in her life, she has faith that she will be saved. If you are looking for a great romantic suspense, then check this book out.

BY: Jack Gilhooly
PUBLISHED IN: 2010

Rudy starts playing with the light switches to Grandpa’s miniature Christmas village. Rudy and Amanda are zapped into the village. There, they go by different name and have new parents. The villagers are upset that the library has gone missing. One day it was just lifted up into the air.

The kids find away to return to their Grandparents house. Over the next few days, they keep returning to the little village.

The Christmas Village is a cute story for kids. The two main characters, Rudy and Amanda, act just like normal children at Christmas. They have their minds on one thing: Gifts! While reading the book, I kept thinking of the Chillogy episodes from the Goosebumps television series. They both involve kids going into a miniature town. The only difference is that the Christmas Village is meant to charm you, not scare you. Yes, there is a message of giving just like any other Christmas story. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and I recommend this to every one of all ages.

*I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy to review.