Giveaway: The Hobbit The Battle of The Five Armies on Blu-ray

 I have loved The Hobbit ever since my 6th grade teacher read the book to our class.  I love the book, and I really enjoyed all of the movies.  If you're a Hobbit fan, too, this giveaway is for you!

Warner Home Video will give one lucky reader a copy of the latest movie in the trilogy.  The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves.  We loved the movie in the theater, and I'm really looking forward to watching it again now that it's out on Blu-ray.

Special Features on the Blu-ray combo pack include:

• New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth Part 3
• Recruiting the Five Armies
• Completing Middle-earth: A Six-Part Saga
• Completing Middle-earth: A Seventeen-Year Journey
• The Last Goodbye: Behind the Scenes
• Music Video
• Trailers

And now for some Hobbit fun!  Take the quiz to find out if you have the bravery it takes to journey through Middle Earth and use the interactive map to learn some fun facts about Middle Earth.


To enter the giveaway:

• Leave a comment on this post and let me know what you found out when you took the quiz.  Are you brave like Bilbo?

For an additional entry (Can be done once per day; leave a separate comment w/ link for each):

• Tweet about this giveaway - be sure to include a link and use the hashtag #TheHobbit 
• Share this giveaway on Facebook.  Make sure your post is public so I can see it.

Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents, and all entries must be received by 11:59pm ET on April 20, 2015.  Good Luck!!

Each household is only eligible to win One (1) Blu-ray The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one winner per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Bonus - enjoy this behind the scenes look at New Zealand. (That's one place I'd love to visit someday, and not just because they filmed The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies there.)

Other giveaways:

• GIVEAWAY - Win THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES on Blue-ray!
• The Hobbit The Battle of The Five Armies Blu-ray #Giveaway
• Blu-Ray #Giveaway The Hobbit The Battle Of The Five Armies! #TheHobbit

Win a Copy of The Lego Movie! #Giveaway

Have you seen The Lego Movie?  I haven't, but I've heard great things about it.  And I've always loved Lego, so now that it's out on Blu-ray and DVD, I am going to have to check it out.

About The Lego Movie:

The LEGO® Movie, the first-ever, full-length theatrical LEGO® adventure, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller is an original 3D computer animated story that follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared.

Chris Pratt (Moneyball) stars as the voice of Emmet. Will Ferrell (The Campaign) stars as the voice of his primary adversary, President Business, an erudite, anal-retentive CEO who has a hard time balancing world domination with micro-managing his own life; while Liam Neeson (Taken) voices the president's powerful henchman, known as Bad Cop, who will stop at nothing to catch Emmet.

Starring as Emmet's fellow travelers are Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), as Vitruvius, an old mystic; Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Emmy nominee for 30 Rock), as tough-as-nails Lucy, who mistakes Emmet for the savior of the world and guides him on his quest; Will Arnett (Emmy nominee, 30 Rock), as the mysterious Batman, a LEGO minifigure with whom Lucy shares a history; Nick Offerman (NBC's Parks and Recreation) as a craggy, swaggering pirate, obsessed with revenge on President Business; and Alison Brie (Community) as a sweet, loveable member of the team, with a powerful secret.

You have a chance to check it out, too by winning your very own copy!!  That's right, one lucky reader will win a copy of The Lego Movie on Blu-ray!

Just check out this Everything is Awesome Blog App and create a mini 6 second LEGO GIF Video! Get creative!  Videos instantly get posted to YouTube for everybody to enjoy!  Then all you have to do is leave a comment with a link to your Lego video, and you're entered to win.  How easy is that?


Once you have shared your short Lego video, you can earn extra entries by tweeting about this giveaway and using the #TheLEGOMovie hashtag.  Shares on Facebook and Google+ will be counted, too,  Just be sure to link to this giveaway and make sure I can see your post so I can count it.  You can tweet and share once per day per social network.

Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada, and all entries must be received by 11:59pm ET on June 30, 2014.  Good luck!

Each household is only eligible to win The Lego Movie Blu-Ray via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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FREE Online Safety Ebook AND a Lorax Giveaway

Just because kids today have never known a world without the Internet doesn't mean they know how to behave online.  Teaching our children to use technology safely and responsibly is so important.  Are your kids ready to go online?  Take the quiz to find out, then watch the videos to start a discussion in your family about real situations that may occur online.


The More You Know Learning Series, in collaboration with NBC News, has launched Growing Up Online, the FREE eBook for parents to keep their kids safe on the Internet!  This free eBook provides easy-to-use information that addresses the growing concern about kids’ online privacy and cyberbullying in a unique and engaging way. Growing Up Online is packed with important tips that every parent should know!  For a start, check out these 6 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe Online. 

Then once you've downloaded the ebook, be sure to enter this giveaway, sponsored by the more you know and Growing Up Online.  The winner will receive a copy of Dr. Seuss’ THE LORAX DVD & Blu-ray Combo Pack.  I haven't seen the movie myself, but I've read the book, and it's pretty good!


To enter:

• Leave a comment telling me how you're teaching your children how to safely surf the internet or share your favorite Comic Book Video from the Blog App.
• For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway with a link to this post and the hashtag #GrowingUpOnline in your tweet. (Once per day)

 The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents, and all entries must be received by 11:59am Central Time on September 22, 2013.  Good luck!

Related articles

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Space Warriors Giveaway

This coming Friday night (May 31) Hallmark Channel will air the movie Space Warriors.  In this movie, six highly skilled teenagers are handpicked to be part of a summer space camp competition but they don’t realize that they will be forced to solve a life or death crisis aboard the International Space Station as the world anxiously watches. Thomas Horn, Danny Glover, Josh Lucas, Dermot Mulroney, Mira Sorvino and Booboo Stewart star.

Space Warriors is the second film in the Walden Family Theater original lineup featuring great family entertainment, airing Friday nights exclusively on Hallmark Channel. Walden Family Theater is creating films for the whole family to enjoy together, so make sure to mark your calendars and gather around the television to watch all the great upcoming films!

Past films include: "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, "Holes", "Nim's Island", "Charlotte's Web", and "Return to Nim's Island."

This one makes me think of an old movie I always liked - Space Camp.  Anyone remember that one?  Even if you don't, be sure to watch Space Warriors on Hallmark Channel May 31st at 8/7C for your chance to win a trip for the whole family to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Space Camp! Keep an eye out for the secret keyword and then come back here and enter for a chance to go on location where Space Warriors was filmed and train like a real astronaut!  Doesn't that sound like fun? 

You can also enter right here to receive a Space Warriors Blu-ray Combo Pack(Blu-ray + DVD + VUDU Digital Copy) (Walmart Exclusive) To enter, take the How Spacey Are You? QUIZ and leave a comment with your results.




For an additional entry tweet with a link to this giveaway and the #SpaceWarriors hashtag.

All entries must be received by 11:59 Central on Friday June 7, 2013.  Open to U.S. residents only.  Good Luck!

Return to Nim's Island Giveaway

Walden Family Theater, presented by Walmart and P&G will be premiering Return to Nim's Island this coming Friday March 15 at 8pm/7pm Central on Hallmark Channel.  In this sequel to the 2008 hit Nim's Island, 14-year-old Nim (played by Bindi Irwin) is more determined than ever to protect her island and the animals that call it home. With ruthless resort developers and greedy wildlife poachers threatening the existence she loves, Nim realizes she and her animal pals can’t defend their home alone. To save her island, she is forced to combine forces with an outsider: Edmund, a runaway from the mainland. Only with his help does she stand a chance of stopping the villains from dismantling her world.


The Blu-ray and DVD will be available exclusively at Walmart 4 days following the premiere on Hallmark Channel, but you can win one here.  Walden Family Theater will give one lucky winner a Return to Nim'’s Island Blu-ray Combo Pack!

To enter, just take the Quiz (above) to discover which adventurer you are, and leave a comment on this post letting me know.  (I got Edmund, a swashbuckling explorer!)  For additional entries (once per day) tweet this giveaway and/or share it with your facebook friends and Google+ circles, and leave me a comment with the link each time.

Giveaway is open to U.S. readers (NO P.O. boxes), and all entries must be received by 11:59pm (Central) on March  21, 2013.  Good luck!

This post and giveaway brought to you by Walden Media & Hallmark Channel.

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The Car is Fixed, BUT...

Car keys on Khaki (Photo credit: Tattooed JJ)

I waited all day, but at least now the window works.  Again, I should have taken my computer and gotten some work done, but I figured that they knew what the problem was, and they had the part, so how long could it take?  6-1/2 hours, that's how long.

I would have been out of there sooner, but they originally said they would need two keys to program the windows or the new part, or whatever.  I didn't really understand it, but we only got one key when we bought the car, so we could really use a second key.  Then, today when they fixed the car, they didn't actually need the second key, so they didn't make one.

The serviceman I was working with at Honda said he would send it back to Ford to get one made, since he'd told me we would get a second key.  It would take another half hour or so.  And since I was already there...

So I waited another hour or so - it was a long half hour - and got the second key.  And before I left, we made sure that both keys would start the car.  And I was out of there.  I drove to the movie theater, just in time to see Trouble with the Curve, which I'd been wanting to see and was on the $5 movies this week.  (I'd already missed the 12:45, 1:45, and 3:40 showings.  I see now I was being very optimistic thinking I could make that 12:45 show, and here I was thinking I might have time to kill between leaving the dealership and going to the theater...)

When I got to the theater just in time for the 4:20 showing, I found that I could not lock the car doors with the key fob.  None of the buttons did anything.  Somewhere in all the programming and whatever it takes to make a new key, they forgot the fob, and now it does not work.  Thankfully the keys, as well as starting the car, also unlock the doors.  I didn't think to try that until after I had locked the car with the lock button on the door, and closed the door.  I could have been in big trouble and needed a calgary locksmith (Quick LockWorks, Ltd.. 104-3223 83 St. NW - Calgary - Alberta - T3B 5N1 - Canada - (403) 202-7656) to get back into the car.  Or just plain called Honda and told them to come get me and fix this thing.

As it is, I am going to need to take the car back.  Again.  So they can get everything programmed to work properly.  After spending all day waiting, drinking too much coffee, not really eating breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, I was just really tired and frustrated, and all I really wanted to do was cry.  Which I did when I got home and my husband called.

At least the movie was good.

How was your day?

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Friday Fives - Oscar Edition

Elizabeth over at Table for Five has started a new weekly meme that's pretty simple.  Just share a list - of anything! 
 

Since the Academy Awards are Sunday, I thought I'd list the Best Picture Nominees that I have not seen.

1. The Artist
2. The Descendants
3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
4. Hugo
5. Midnight in Paris

 and a couple bonuses - The Tree of Life and War Horse!

That's right - of the 9 movies nominated for Best Picture, I've seen two of them - The Help and Moneyball.  I guess I really don't need to watch the Oscars...

How many of the movies on the list have you seen?  Which one do you think will win?  (For a bit of fun, you can go here and make your picks in all the categories and see what other people are thinking - and then, of course, compare results on Sunday night.)

And for even more fun visit Table for Five and join Friday Fives with your own list!

Act of Valor

I got free passes to a pre-screening of this movie tonight.  It was really good and really intense and definitely worth seeing.  These guys are my heroes!  I knew I'd cry.  And be on the edge of my seat throughout most of it.  Seriously - see this when it comes out.

Act of Valor - in theaters 2/24/12

The Hobbit!

I keep watching this trailer, and I don't know how we're supposed to see this and then wait a whole year to see the movie.  It looks so good.




I guess I'll just have to read the book again. 

Fun fact: my 6th grade teacher was the one who introduced me (the class) to The Hobbit.  He read the book out loud to us over the course of the school year.  Actually, I can't remember how long it took to get through the book, but I know we enjoyed it.

And, in a year, we'll get to enjoy the movie.  Who else is impatient?

Reading The Help

Guest post written by Katherine Benton

Most of the time, I prefer not to read books before I see their film counterparts. I've found in the past that a lot of the time it's too hard for the director and actors to make the movie better than the book and I end up getting disappointed by it in the end. Well, I had to make an exception for it this time around though because my mom gave me The Help for my birthday. She told me that she and her book club had read it and then she cried because it was so sad, but beautiful. After she said that, I knew I had to read it. Normally I get way more emotional about books than she does, so I thought this one must be especially good!

I also looked into a few book reviews before I actually cracked it open though. While I was browsing through some, I came across the site clearwirelessinternetservice.com. After I looked through it some, I decided to change over my apartment internet service to it.

It took me just a few short days to read the book! Granted most of that was over a weekend when I just read, but it was that good. I have faith that the movie will live up to it though.

This is My Son

Cory and several of his friends went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 on his birthday – July 15th.  I let him take my small camera so he could get some pictures of all the fun, and then he left it with one of his friends.  Good, because he made sure the camera didn’t get lost by having her put it in her purse.  Bad, because he didn’t see her again until this past Saturday night.

Anyway, I just copied all the pictures off the camera onto my computer, and I just had to share a couple.  This is my son:

There were quite a few more.  It looks like they had fun.  They enjoyed the movie, too.  I haven’t seen it yet.  Hopefully soon.  I don’t think I’ll be posing in front of any movie posters, though.

See Monte Carlo this Summer

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Monte Carlo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
I'm not talking about actually taking a trip, though that would be fun, wouldn't it?  I'm talking about the new Selena Gomez movie coming out this Friday - Monte Carlo.

What it's about: Grace (Selena Gomez) is an ordinary girl who becomes an accidental heiress when a summer trip to Paris turns into the fantasy of a lifetime. On a dream vacation, Grace, along with her best friend and step-sister, discover that the greatest adventure is finding out who they really are.

Of course there's a guy involved, too.  In the trailer, Grace says, "I finally meet a guy who likes me for me, and I'm not even me."  Will she tell him who she really is?  Will it all work out?  I hadn't heard anything about this movie until I watched the trailer, but now I'm looking forward to seeing it.  Check it out:
 

 It really looks like a lot of fun.  It's not really Jeffrey's kind of movie, so I'm thinking maybe I can get Beth to go with me.  That is, if she can leave that little man of hers long enough!  It would be fun, though.  It's been ages since we've gone and done anything together.  Hanging out at home while she does laundry doesn't count!
 
Be sure to check out the Monte Carlo trailer for yourself.  Like the Monte Carlo Facebook page for more information and photos.  I found a giveaway there, too - for a Monte Carlo mini poster and a $25 Fandango gift card.  Beginning 6/29, you can get tickets for Monte Carlo online through Fandango - so that gift card could come in handy!
 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2)

Coming on Cory's birthday:




Can't wait to see this. I would really love to re-read all the books or at least re-watch all the movies before this comes out, but it's probably not going to happen. We will probably at least watch Part 1 before going to see the last one.  The Last One - yeah, that's kinda sad...

Movie of the Week: Unknown

We saw Unknown last night.  It stars Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris who's in Berlin with his wife (played by January Jones) to attend an international conference on biotechnology.  They've barely arrived when Martin gets into a taxi to rush back to the airport, and that taxi ends up plunging off a bridge.  Martin hits his head, has to be rescued by his taxi driver, almost dies, and wakes up in a hospital bed 4 days later hooked up to ekg machines and IVs.  He had no ID on him, and they had no idea who he was or who to contact.

His memory is fractured, but he remembers his name and that he has a wife.  Thinking she must be worried, not hearing from him for 4 days, he checks himself out of the hospital and rushes to the hotel, only to find that his wife does not remember him, and another man has taken his place.  Martin then begins a desperate quest to prove that he is who he says he is and that he's not crazy.  He tracks down his taxi driver Gina (played by Diane Kruger) to find out what she knows, people start dying, they have to run for their lives, forcing them to team up to find out what is going on.  "The question is, why would they want to take your place?"

There is plenty of action in this movie and lots of twists and turns.  It kept us guessing throughout as we, too, tried to figure out what was going on and why.  Overall, we really enjoyed it and would recommend it for an evening's entertainment.

Related articles

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If you have Marcus Theatres in your area, be sure to sign up for their Spotlight Movie Club for $5 admission to select movies on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Movie of the Week: The King's Speech

Image via Wikipedia

Last week the Spotlight Movie Club included The King's Speech, which we had been waiting to see.  We had been hearing a lot about it, since it was nominated for 12 Academy Awards.

About the movie:

After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle.

Based on the true story of King George VI, THE KING'S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch's quest to find his voice.

Sometimes the movies that get all the attention and hype are a real disappointment - not this one.  This was a really wonderful movie.  We enjoyed it thoroughly, from beginning to end.  I was aware of the abdication of King Edward VIII but did not know the story of his brother's struggle to become the king the country needed him to be.  Or if I learned it at all, I had forgotten.  If only all history could be taught this way!

Colin Firth was absolutely amazing as Bertie (King George VI).  Amazing!  His speech impediment was very believable as well as his struggle to overcome his childhood issues and become the man he was meant to be and the king his country needed him to be.  Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth was loving and strong, and also had to come to terms with the fact that she and Bertie would no longer be allowed to live a relatively private life.  Geoffrey Rush was wonderful in his role as Lionel.

We left the theater understanding why this movie has received all the attention it has.  If you haven't seen it yet - do!

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Movie of the Week: No Strings Attached

Jeffrey and I have been seeing a movie practically every week.  We really like the Spotlight Movie Club, which lets us see select movies for $5 on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  It just occurred to me this morning that I ought to at least mention the movies we see each week and maybe even let you know what I thought of them.

Last night we saw No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.  This is not a movie that will ever be nominated for any awards or anything, but it was quite enjoyable.  I'm not sure why - it was just plain wrong on so many levels.  Some of the scenes were very funny, and some of the lines had the entire audience groaning/laughing out loud.  None of it was at all believable, I mean, people don't really act like that, do they?  Especially Adam's dad!   But maybe that's what made it fun - because it was obviously just entertainment.  

Natalie Portman is just adorable, and Ashton Kutcher is sweet.  The movie was entirely predictable and ended up exactly the way you know it's going to end, but getting there was quite enjoyable.

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Anybody Miss Me?

I can't believe I haven't been on my computer all day.  I finished up my grocery list this morning and then left the house before too terribly late - later than I wanted but still earlier than I usually get around to leaving when I go shopping.  Then I ran around, to the bank, to get the oil changed and tires rotated on the van, to Walmart and Walgreens and Pick 'n Save.  I had to stop at McDonald's too, because I needed some food, and I had a coupon for a free Frappe (is that how they spell it?) that I had to use.  It was really good!

When I got home, I had time to put everything away, heat up some leftover chicken for dinner, and I did turn my computer on long enough to find the movie coupon and get it printed out.  Then Jeffrey and I left and went to see the new Harry Potter movie, which we hadn't seen yet - and, since we could see it for $5, we just had to.  There was another movie Jeffrey wanted to see also on the $5 movies this week, and we briefly thought about seeing that one too, but it didn't start until 9:30, and when we did the math and realized we wouldn't get home and to bed until after midnight, we decided against it.  Why do they even start movies at 9:30 on a weeknight?

Because now, it's almost 10:30, and it's definitely time for bed.  Those people who go to late movies must be much younger than I.  They probably keep in touch with everybody even when they're out because they all have iphones too.

Eclipse. A Review.

Image by bcmom via Flickr

Cory went with a bunch of his friends to see Eclipse (that Twilight movie) last night because they got free passes to the pre-screening.  He posted this review on facebook, and I loved reading it so much I just had to share:

Well, as a straight man, i had my... issues with going to see this new twilight film.

"Twilight? isn't that a time of day?"
"no, no, no. It's a MOVIE based off of a book."
"So it's a movie about astronomy?"
"nope Vampires."

See. Vampires. Great.
Now don't get me wrong, I love a good Vampire book. Lots of violence, even more violence, and an ancient feel. Or in the case of Vampire books by Christopher Moore, Hilarity.
But what I don't like are bastardized Vampires. and Oh goodness gracious these Twilight Vampires? Abominations.

First Off, I want my vampires to have Fangs. Two sharp pointy fangs.
do these "twilight" vampires have fangs?
No.

Secondly. I don't want my vampires to Sparkle.
Twilight vampires sparkle. making them... useless.

Thirdly. Honestly I don't really want to go on. So I won't.

Oh yeah, right. the movie.

It starts out with a guy walking in the rain. and then something steals his backpack, and he's all like.
"omg, no. my backpack."
and then. he gets bitten.
on the hand.
by something RUNNING past him.
I still don't get how that worked.
But anyways. He turns into a vampire.

then we have the whole. Bella Swan narration.
"my life sucks. I want to sparkle with Edward."
It was really awkward, I mean you had these beautiful shots of mountains and sunrises over the mountains, and it's ruined by. Emo-ness.
And then, Edward and Bella are making out in a field of flowers.
I honestly think at least Half of this film was kissing. and awkward creepy kissing at that.
kiskisskissbellailoveyoukisskisskiss.

no thank you.
The whole film is based around this one big upcoming plot point. something about some vampire chick, Victoria, coming to kill Bella.
Something to do with Edward killing the only person she ever loved or something. some shirtless guy named James.
But if i remember correctly. people told me that this vampire named Alice ripped off this Shirtless guys head. so. whatever.

So basically, Victoria wants to kill Bella. so she makes all these new vampires. and they're all.
RAHHH BLOOD.
and this other guys is all. screaming at them and stuff.
and then Dakota Fanning is on the roof.
and then she vanishes.
w/e.
So all these Newborn vampires walk underwater from Seattle, to Forks. so apparently they're just on opposing sides of a lake or something. Don't ask me. I don't even know.

And then the "werewolves" who are some chubbyesque tan men, decide to help the Cullen Family kill these newborn Vampires.
so they do.

Yeah. that summed up the essential plot.
but then you had the "real plot" as the Twi-hards would call it.
Will Bella Swan pick Jacob?
Or Edward?
So Edward and Jacob argue.
A lot.
Jacob Face rapes Bella with his lips and then she punches him in the face. and breaks her hand.
and we have this big thing going around.
Jacob is convinced that Bella loves him, even though she wont' say it and want's nothing romantic with him.
But apparently she does.
I have no clue. she changes her mind so often it'd just be better for everyone if Edward and Jacob just teamed up and killed her.
so basically, Bella decides to go camping on the top of a mountain, because then she'll be away from the "battle" but it's so cold up there Jacob has to climb into bed with her to keep her warm. while Edward sits and watches.
so that have some man talk while she sleeps, about how they both love her and what not.
blahblahblah


The cinematography was crap. the camera shook way too much for my liking. i felt like i was on a boat.
there were also scenes that didn't make sense at all.
like when Bella goes,
"i'm going camping. Jacob, you're shirtless carry me there. that way these newborn vampires wont' be able to follow because your dog stink will cover my sexy smelling blood."
and then he carries her for a bit, like they're going up the mountain.
and then she's back home in her truck.
and then she's back at the battle field smearing her blood everywhere.
and then Jacob AGAIN, carries her to the campsite.
(he's still shirtless mind you. also he didn't change pants throughout the whole film.)

made no sense.

Also.

the chick who played Victoria. Was Hot. her face was like. perfect. Deanna agreed. but now i look at pictures of her. and she's not so hot when shes' not a pale redheaded vampire... hmn.

who knows.
All I know is, I'm on "team I don't care about this stupid fad, but I'm glad I went to this prescreening because I laughed at this movie very hard because it was stupid."

What team are you on?

---

I've only listened to the first book, and I thought it was pretty dumb, so I didn't read any more.  I saw the first movie on the bus to New York, and I thought it was really dumb, too.  If I hadn't listened to the book, I would have had no idea what was going on.  It was so disjointed and random.  But now Beth is reading the books, and Beth is not really a reader, so I'm thinking that I ought to at least give them a try - just because they've gotten Beth to read.  This does not make Cory happy.

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• The Twilight Saga, Eclipse: Same old vampires, third time around (thestar.com)
• Ten-minute 'Twilight': what 'Eclipse' would look like as a film short (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Does Your Marriage Need a Date Night?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of 20th Century Fox. All opinions are 100% mine.

The first time we saw a trailer for Date Night Cory said he wanted to see it.  That happens a lot - we go see a movie and watch all the trailers before, and Cory leans over and tells me he wants to see that one, and that one, and that one.  It seems there are a lot of movies this boy wants to see.  I'm not really surprised about this one, though because it stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey and he really likes both of them.  He watches 30 Rock and The Office, and I don't watch either of those, so I'm not as familiar with them as he is (yes, I know - where have I been?). After watching the trailer, I think I really want to see this movie, too, because it really looks funny.

Date Night, which opens this Friday, April 9, 2010, is about a bored suburban couple who go on their weekly dinner date, claim to be someone else to get a table, and find themselves thrown into a night of intrigue:

there’s breaking and entering, a car chase, a shootout and a showdown with an underworld boss at a strip club. Husband and wife come out of the adventure with some scratches and also with their ardor renewed.  (source: nytimes.com)

Sounds like your average night out, right?  The article called Date Night "the latest in a long line of films in which a man and woman liven up the extended sigh that is their marriage with a joint stint as sleuths, crime-busters and action heroes." and compared the movie to a couple movies we really like, True Lies and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.  It seems like an extreme way to shake up a marriage, but it certainly makes for some good entertainment.

Check out the trailer, in case you haven't already seen it:



I don't want anything quite so intense, except to watch, but maybe Jeffrey and I should try doing something fun once in a while - just in case sitting in the living room watching TV and blogging or checking out facebook, each of us on our own laptop, might be considered boring.  We wouldn't want our marriage to be considered an 'extended sigh', would we?  Especially considering it won't be long until Beth moves out and Cory goes to college, and it will be just the two of us.  We better start figuring out what we're going to do and what we're going to talk about!

I'd say we could start the date night thing by going to see the Date Night Movie, but I'm pretty sure our son wouldn't be very happy with us - since he's the one who wanted to see it in the first place.  I guess this particular 'date night' is going to have to be a family night at the movies, pretty much like all our nights at the movies these days.  Before we had kids, we used to run all over town - not being chased by the bad guys, but trying to see how many movies we could see on a Sunday, at matinee price.  Matinee price has gone up a bit since then, but maybe it's about time to try that again?  We'd have to set some rules to make it interesting, like no more than one movie in a row in any particular theater, since we could just go the Majestic and see every movie we wanted without ever moving the car, and where would be the adventure in that?

Remember, Date Night opens this Friday, April 9.  Who will you see it with?

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• Film: 'Date Night' Adventure for Steve Carell and Tina Fey (nytimes.com)
• Tina Fey and Steve Carell Go on a Date (abcnews.go.com)

Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Alvin and the Chipmunks. All opinions are 100% mine.

I remember seeing the previews for the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, cleverly called 'the squeakquel' - well, I thought it was clever, didn't you?  This wasn't a movie that I felt just had to be seen in the theater, but now it's coming out on DVD, so we'll most likely end up watching it.  It's packed with action and nutty fun for the whole family - and cute little chipmunks, of course.  There are even girl chipmunks in this one, the Chipettes, a beautiful talented trio discovered by Alvin, Simon, and Theodore's ex-manager Ian.  I can just imagine the trouble the boys get into.

I've been having some fun with the 'Get Munked with Alvin and the Chipmunks' application at munkyourself.com.  You get to create your own chipmunk - choosing clothes, accessories, etc, and then record your own sound or choose a clip from the movie.  I'm not sure what this clip was about, but it's exactly how I feel sometimes.





Besides the 'munk' yourself thing, there's plenty More Munk Mayhem you can get into at foxfamilyflicks.com.  There are games to play, downloads to download, and music to sing along with.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakquel will be available everywhere Tuesday, March 30 on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download. You can buy it now through pre-order.  The Double DVD pack comes with "The Squeak Along" Bonus Disc, with more music, mayhem and all-new singalongs! TWICE THE FUN for the PRICE OF ONE!  Check it out and see if this is one you want to add to your home movie collection - and have some fun with the chipmunks while you're at it.