The Magic Schoolbus: All About Earth

Posted on April 15, 2013 at 6:59 am

A-

Lowest Recommended Age:	All Ages
MPAA Rating:	NR
Profanity:	None
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	Mild peril
Diversity Issues:	None
Date Released to DVD:	April 16, 2013
Amazon.com ASIN:	B009O07NKW

Just in time for Earth Day, Ms. Frizzles and the class go on three never-before-released episodes and a bonus from the popular series of animated adventures with science, with English and Spanish language options.

The episodes are:

“The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed” The class garden is going to be featured on the cover of Plant It! Magazine, but Phoebe’s garden plot is mysteriously empty.

“The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top” Ms. Frizzles explains volcanos and island creation.

“The Magic School Bus Goes on Air” The mysteries and miracles of air pressure.

Bonus: “The Magic School Bus All Dried Up” The story of deserts.

I have one copy to give away! Send me an email with “Schoolbus” in the subject line and tell me where you’d like Ms. Frizzle to take you. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only.) I’ll pick a winner at random on April 20. Good luck!

Reminder: My policy on conflicts

Planet Ocean

Posted on April 8, 2013 at 8:00 am

B+

Lowest Recommended Age:	All Ages
MPAA Rating:	Unrated
Profanity:	None
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	Environmental concerns
Diversity Issues:	None
Date Released to DVD:	April 8, 2013
Amazon.com ASIN:	B00BBAGF0W

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vYMUV2_das

Josh Duhamel narrates this extraordinary documentary about one of our planet’s most precious resources, our oceans. Filmed by directors Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Michael Pitiot, along with an outstanding team of international underwater cinematographers in partnership with OMEGA and with the scientific support of Tara Expeditions, the film aims to explain some of the planets greatest natural mysteries, while reinforcing how essential it is that mankind learns to live in harmony with our oceans. Planet Ocean serves as a reminder of the bond between humans and nature, and the duty that exists to protect and respect our planet. Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program, presented this film to the leaders of Rio+20 conference in June 2012.

Spectacular aerial and underwater imagery captured in extreme geographical conditions worldwide, Planet Ocean brings into into the least known regions of our planet. I have one Blu-Ray copy to give away. Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Ocean in the subject line and tell me your favorite ocean view. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on April 21. Good luck!

BONUS FEATURES (BLU-RAY™ and DVD):

· THE MAKING OF PLANET OCEAN

· IN THE SKIES ABOVE RIO: Breathtaking images of Rio de Janeiro’s magnificent shores

· UNDERWATER: Uncover the natural mysteries of marine life with Planet Ocean’s team of underwater cinematographers.

· SHANGHAI: Extraordinary aerial photography of Shanghai’s busy harbor underscores the significance of ocean commerce.

Contest: To the Arctic

Posted on April 1, 2013 at 9:19 pm

Meryl Streep narrates “To the Arctic,” the story of twin polar bear cubs and their mother that is a great family film. And I have a copy to give away.

It’s an extraordinary journey to the top of the world and a compelling tale of survival in the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating and intimate IMAX® footage brings audiences up-close and personal with this family’s struggle in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls and majestic snow-bound peaks. The vistas and wildlife are breathtaking and the story of the mother and her cubs fighting for survival is touching. And the soundtrack features songs by Sir Paul McCartney.

It’s now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features a 3D hi-definition, a hi-definition and a standard definition copy of the film; and the single disc DVD features a standard definition copy. Both the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and the single disc DVD include UltraViolet, which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the standard definition theatrical version of the film to a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.

To enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com and tell me why you’d like to visit the Arctic. Don’t forget to include your address (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on April 7. Good luck!

Bindi Irwin Stars in Hallmark Channel’s “Return to Nim’s Island”

Posted on March 9, 2013 at 8:00 am

Bindi Irwin, the 14-year-old daughter of wildlife enthusiast Steve Irwin, stars in “Return to Nim’s Island,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premiere on Friday, March 15 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

“Return to Nim’s Island” kicks off Hallmark Channel’s new Walden Family Theater, created by Walmart, P&G, Walden Media and ARC Entertainment. “Return to Nim’s Island” is based on the novel Nim at Sea by Australian author Wendy Orr and is the sequel to the 2008 action-adventure international box office hit “Nim’s Island.” In “Return to Nim’s Island,” Nim (Irwin) and her father Jack (Matthew Lillard; “The Descendants,” “Scream”) discover that greedy resort developers plan to buy their beloved Nim’s Island and turn it into a tourist destination, endangering the local wildlife. So Nim takes it upon herself to recruit some animal allies in her battle against the forces who care more about profitability than morality. One of her assistants includes Selkie, a savvy sea lion and Nim’s best pal. Selkie winds up getting kidnapped by a fisherman and his sons (John Waters, Sebastian Gregory, Jack Pearson) who intend to sell her. Nim realizes she can’t depend on her animal cohorts alone and relies on her first human friend, Edmund (Toby Wallace), to help save her home. Along with Jack’s intern, Felix (Nathan Derrick), Nim and Edmund work together and try to defeat the developers and save the beloved island and its endangered species.

More about Fracking: Gasland

Posted on January 4, 2013 at 3:59 pm

This week’s release of “Promised Land,” with Matt Damon and Frances McDormand as representatives of a natural gas extraction company trying to persuade residents of a farm community to permit drilling, should inspire viewers to find out more about the controversial practice of “fracking.” You can watch the 2010 documentary, Gasland, online.

And there are a number of books on the subject like Shale Gas: The Promise and the Peril, this progress report from EPA, and this report from the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources as well as a fascinating episode of This American Life.

Related Tags:

Documentary Environment/Green