Web Site Story
Posted on July 15, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Many thanks to Entertainment Weekly for recommending this very funny update of “West Side Story” for the age of the internet.
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Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience
Posted on June 30, 2009 at 8:00 am
Jonas Brothers fans will feel like they are on stage with Joe, Nick, and Kevin in this immersive 3D concert film from the recent “Burning Up” tour. Brief backstage glimpses of the JoBros waking up, having breakfast, filming a music video in Central Park, visiting a record store for the release of their new CD, and, in a brief tribute to A Hard Day’s Night
Seasoned pros at 21, 19, and 16, the brothers started performing as children, with Nick and Joe appearing on Broadway as children and their first tour as a group in 2005. They are natural showmen, obviously having fun on stage, with an appealing easy athleticism and infectious enjoyment. Parents can feel comfortable with their strictly G-rated lyrics and resolutely G-rated off-stage personas. Their father is a is a former Assembly of God pastor and they are open about their commitment to their faith. A shirt may (briefly) be off, but their purity rings stay on.
The concert benefits from guest appearances by fellow teen pop-stars Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift (whose brief romance with Joe Jonas inspired her new break-up song “Forever and Always”). Both young women sing female empowerment anthems that add a bit of balance. But even when they are on stage, the brothers are always at the forefront, the guest stars another in a series of precisely timed show-boosters that include fireworks, cartwheels, lifting the boys on pedestals, spraying the fans with firehoses, and — this is a 3D movie after all — a number of objects being thrown at the audience including guitar picks and drumsticks.
The shots of the fans — hyperventilating, weeping, smiling so widely their braces seem to take over the entire screen, jumping over police barricades — may be there to promote the Jonas Brothers brand but they will also be reassuringly validating to the movie’s primary audience. They may come to enjoy the music and the behind-the-scenes glimpses of the teen idols, but they will appreciate the sense of community and good spirits as well.
Parents should know that this is a G-rated film with no bad language, sex, or violence. One of the boys briefly has his shirt off and the brothers spray their fans with firehoses in a manner some may find suggestive.
Family discussion: What is it that makes the Jonas Brothers so popular? Which one is your favorite and why?
If you like this, try: Camp Rock
The Seven Little Foys
Posted on June 1, 2009 at 3:58 pm
B+| Lowest Recommended Age: | 4th - 6th Grades |
| MPAA Rating: | Not Rated |
| Profanity: | None |
| Alcohol/ Drugs: | Drinking, smoking |
| Violence/ Scariness: | Sad death |
| Diversity Issues: | None |
| Date Released to Theaters: | 1955 |
| Date Released to DVD: | 2007 |
| Amazon.com ASIN: | B00004YS74 |
Bob Hope would have turned 106 this week, and his birthday and the upcoming Father’s Day reminded me of one of my favorite of his films. It’s also one of the least characteristic because he is playing a real-life character (as he would again two years later in “Beau James”) and even though the character was a performer and he does manage to get off some wisecracks, it is as close to a dramatic performance as he ever gave. He also said that the dance number was the hardest work he ever did, because he had to keep up with James Cagney reprising his portrayal of George M. Cohan of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
Hope plays Eddie Foy, Sr., a vaudevillian whose only way to care for his seven children is to put them into his act and take them on the road. The fact that he barely knew the kids was of no more relevance than the fact that they had no talent.
Foy, as played by Hope, was not a great father. But he was devoted to his children in his own way, and I have special affection for this film. A couple of other points worth noting: fans of the old “Father Knows Best” series will recognize Billy Gray as one of the kids. And take a look at “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” too — you will see the real-life Eddie Foy, Jr. appearing as his father opposite James Cagney as his long-time friendly rival Cohan, and as the bookie in “Bells are Ringing.”
Pinocchio
Posted on March 9, 2009 at 2:00 pm
A+| Lowest Recommended Age: | All Ages |
| MPAA Rating: | G |
| Profanity: | None |
| Alcohol/ Drugs: | Children smoke cigars |
| Violence/ Scariness: | Tense and scary scenes including characters being swallowed by a whale and apparent death |
| Diversity Issues: | None |
| Date Released to Theaters: | 1940 |
| Date Released to DVD: | January 30, 2017 |
| Amazon.com ASIN: | B01M105H8W |
This new edition has some great behind-the-scenes extras.
“Pinocchio” is a natural for the first discussions with kids about telling the truth (especially admitting a mistake) and not talking to strangers. Talk to them, too, about how to find their own conscience and listen to it as if it were Jiminy Cricket. The trip to Pleasure Island may also lead to a discussion of why things that feel like fun may be harmful, and the difference between fun and happiness.
Jonas Brothers 3D
Posted on February 26, 2009 at 9:30 pm
No review because they didn’t show it to critics, but here’s a shot from the new Jonas Brothers concert film.