SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

Jeri Jacquin

In theatres now from director Andre Ovredal, Entertainment One and Lionsgate comes the tale of kids and SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK.

It is fall in Mill Valley, PA in 1968 and Halloween has brought out mischief. Stella (Zoe Colletti) and friends Auggie (Gabriel Rush) and Chuck (Austin Zajur) had plans of their own as town bully Tommy (Austin Abrams) is the object of their pranks. When it doesn’t turn out well, the three have to hide and find protection in Ramon’s car (Michael Garza).

Getting to know their rescuer, the gang decides to do their own Halloween by visiting the local haunted house. Once owned by the Bellows family, it has a history for spookiness and rumor. Stella tells the story of Sarah Bellows, a woman who was kept in the basement of her family home but no one really knew why.

Finding the room in the basement, Stella finds a book of her stories while at the same time Tommy found all of them! Taking it with them when they manage to get out, they have no idea what they have unleashed.

The book begins to tell stories and Stella is shocked to learn that the tales come true. Beginning with Tommy, she realizes that everyone that was in the basement is now a target. Ramon stays in town to help find the answers as they dig into town records about the Bellows and discover the truth.

They are running out of time and friends!

Colletti as Stella is front and center of the film as a young girl dealing with feelings about her mother while taking care of her father. Growing up with her two buddies, she still feels alone and spends her time writing. Colletti gives her character vulnerability, smarts and a fearlessness that I found myself cheering for without realizing I was doing it.

Garza as Ramon is passing through town but has a nosey sheriff keeping tabs on him. Helping Stella and friends brings him problems from the town bully but those are minor compared to what follows them all. This young actor keeps it together while friends Auggie and Chuck don’t.

Rush as Auggie is a little different than most boys his age and that is the reason Stella hangs out with him. Zajur as Chuck not only is the smarty pants of the bunch but also loves to make sister Ruth, played by Natalie Ganzhorn, miserable. Ganzhorn is the drama queen in every sense of the word and with very good eight legged reason to be.

Other cast include Gil Bellows as Chief Turner, Lorraine Toussaint as Lou Lou, Will Carr as Ephraim Bellows and Kathleen Pollard as Sarah Bellows.

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK has everything suspenseful and very cool special effects. The story is set in an era that is becoming more popular in film and you won’t get a complaint out of me about that. There is something very special about films that are filled with cell phones, loud music, guns, and all the things we’ve become desensitized to.

This film is a good scary yarn that is filled with a few jumps, creepy music, a back-story and kids so that’s a start. That being said, the premise of the film is one I have seen before. Not a reinvention of the horror genre wheel by any stretch, it’s a nice get-a-big-tub-of-popcorn-to-share film with friends (but go to the matinee).

In the end – stay out of scary houses!

PEPPA PIG: Princess Peppa is Delightful on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to delight families is more adventures from the cutest family on television with PEPPA PIG: Princess Peppa.

When Granny and Grandpa Pig come for a visit but Peppa and George are asleep. Mummy and Daddy Pig are having a dinner with the grandparents but when Granny Pig makes a noise, Peppa and George immediately wake up. Peppa decides to take it upon herself to tell a fantastic story!

Peppa is excited for her chance to meet the Queen when Miss Rabbit is being given an Award for Industry and of course everyone is excited to be a part of the trip. Peppa decides she wants to create her own perfume and goes to the flowers in the garden to find inspiration thanks to Grandma Pig’s scent.

George is thrilled to have a dinosaur balloon but is equally fearful that something will cause it to float away. It’s a day out for Peppa Pig and her family and they all decide to go for a drive and what they spot delights them all. Grandpa Pig isn’t happy with Granny Pig’s choice of decorations for their garden. Also in their garden are fruits that Peppa wants to make a pie with.

Pedro is playing with Peppa and friends and it’s a game of pirates as they make a treasure chest and mark the spot but their friend may have lost something that needs finding as well.

Peppa and her family and friends always bring fun and adventure!

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

Entertainment One continues to bring amazing home entertainment to fans with their own library of over 40,000 films and television titles and 45,000 music tracks. I mention those numbers because that is so impressive bringing something for everyone. For more of what they have to offer please visit http://entertainmentone.com/home.

The DVD episodes include Princess Peppa, The Tooth Fairy, Treasure Hunt, Windy Castle, George’s Balloon, The Rainbow, The Queen, Perfume, Pirate Treasure, The Wishing Well, The Blackberry Bush and Chloe’s Puppet Show.

There is also a bonus episode of The Frog Prince from Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom! For more of Peppa and her family please visit www.peppapig.com and on Facebook at Official Peppa Pig!

PEPPA PIG Princess Peppa is clearly adorable on every level possible. From adventures and fun to family spending time together, PEPPA PIG continues to bring story’s that are shareable for the entire family. There are life lessons in every episode that kids (and their parents) truly do embrace.

The families are all very different but have something amazing in common, their love of family, adventure and fun! The series is created and directed by Mark Baker and Neville Astley and we thank them for bring Peppa Pig into our homes.

The addition of the Limited Edition Plush of Peppa wearing her pretty red dress with her crown is just a delight for any Peppa and family fan.

In the end – get ready for royal fun with Princess Peppa!

Family Crime Series ICE: Season One Comes to DVD

Jeri Jacquin

On DVD from Entertainment One and Antoine Fuqua Films is the AT&T/DirectTV Original Series is the story of a family who struggles to stay together all because of ICE.

Jake (Cam Gigandet) works with his father Isaac Green in the family diamond business Green & Green Diamond. Brother Freddy (Jeremy Sisto) is the problem child as Jake feels like he must constantly rescue him from trouble. Once again it has happened when Freddy kills another diamond dealer.

Immediately Jake goes into action against the wishes of his ex-wife Ava (Audrey Anderson) who wants Freddy to start taking responsibility for his actions. Uncle Cam (Ray Winstone) wants to help in any way he can but agrees that Jake needs to take a step back.

A step back puts Jake in front of Sister Rah (Judi Shekoni) who he turns to for help. She agrees but only at the huge money price that Jake must pay off. Forcing the brothers to transport diamonds illegally, Jake sees it as a way to pay off the debt in one fell swoop but Sister Rah wants what she once had with Jake.

In the middle of this it becomes clear that Dad Isaac (Raymond J. Barry) is having trouble remembering things – including the location of family piece called the Holocaust Diamond. Cam wants to put Green & Green Diamonds back into the red but Isaac doesn’t want to do it his way. During an argument everything falls apart as the family comes to grips with the result.

G&G Diamonds has four people in charge that include Jake, Freddy, Issac’s granddaughter Willow (Chloe East) and sister. Cam is not happy but knows he can turn to Pieter Van De Bruin (Donald Sutherland) and make a deal. What Cam doesn’t know is that De Bruin has his hands smack in the middle of the family telling Cam to get his hands on 25% of the business.

Jake and Freddy come together putting their differences aside knowing that is the only way they are going to protect family and save the business is to find out what strings are being pulled – and by who!

Gigandet as Jake is cool and calm which is amazing considering all the crazy chaos going on around him. He is very focused on family and feels a need to constantly protect a brother who doesn’t seem to care for himself. Gigandet’s character is sharp and always trying to find a way out of the situations that seem to be snowballing out of control. Of course it’s mainly because he doesn’t have all the facts which makes watching him so much more delicious!

Sisto as Freddy is clearly just a hot mess of a brother who needs intervention for his entire life. Wow, this character can’t seem to find the straight line even if someone drew it for him yet he is clever when it comes to diamonds! The struggle between Freddy and Jake are played out so well by Sisto and I have to say I love him in this role.

Winstone as Cam gives new meaning to the word dual personality. He character clearly feels close to this family but seems to be guided by his own hurt feelings by the same family he feels close too. Follow? He is awesome in this role and I found myself yelling at the screen a few times at his character – that’s how you know he’s doing it right. Barry as Isaac is a man who wants to keep his family and business together but it all turns quickly.

Shekoni as Sister Rah is so bizarre it’s unreal. Coming off as a strong business woman, she has a posse that has no problem taking someone out at the snap of her fingers. Her back story slowly explains everything or does it? Anderson as Ava may be Jakes ex-wife but her ties to the family are very strong as well. She wants what is best for everyone and puts herself in the middle of it all to protect her daughter and the family business.

Sutherland as Pieter Van De Bruin is as evil as he wants to be. Charming to your face while picking the spot on your back he plans to ice you (yes, I said it). Of course I have an amazing soft spot in my heart for Sutherland as he’s on my top ten list of actors that can do no wrong. As De Bruin, Sutherland uses his skill to smile during threats and frown when the fun is over. Love, love, love this character in all his badness.

Other cast include: Ella Thomas as Lala Agabaria, Konstantin Lavysh as Alexi Yakenev, Antonio Cupo as Nick, Carmel Amit as Dalit, and Angela Gots as Natalya.

Entertainment One continues to bring amazing home entertainment to fans with their own library of over 40,000 films and television titles and 45,000 music tracks. I mention those numbers because that is so impressive bringing something for everyone. For more of what they have to offer please visit http://entertainmentone.com/home.

ICE: Season One is a fast past and smart thriller with the backdrop of the diamond world. This cast brings together a dysfunctional family with so much distrust, secrets, lies, envy and no loyalty but yet fight for one another in the mix.

I really do love the triangle between Jake, Freddy and Cam because they play on emotions with their characters and that’s what causes me to yell at the screen so much. The later episode addition of Donald Sutherland is just icing on the cake for me. These four men are in the middle of an amazing storyline.

Shekoni, Thomas and Anderson are the women who are caught in the middle but have secrets of their own to keep. Playing off one another is brilliant in their storyline with the addition of East as a young girl who clearly sees everything these adults are doing.

The Bonus Features of ICE: Season One are Premise, Jeremy Sisto and Cam Gigandet interview, and Rachele Royale ‘Diamond Girl’ Music Video.

This series is going to be a sit through from start to finish. There is no way to watch one or two episodes and walk away so prepare for a marathon run of the first season. I’m really excited to see the next season because I want answers and probably a little come-uppance for a few characters.

In the end – come get your cut!

PEPPA PIG: AROUND THE WORLD Brings Giggles on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

On DVD from Entertainment One and 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the sweetest family I know with PEPPA PIG: Around the World.

Peppa Pig and her brother George are ready to take a drive to the park with Mommy and Daddy Pig. When their car breaks down the only way to continue their trip is borrowing Miss Rabbit’s airplane. Mommy Pig pilots while Daddy Pig reads the map but they all end up visiting Peppa Pig’s friends on their places of holiday!

Peppa and George go to visit Granny Pig and are excited when they learn that Grandpa Pig has built them a tree house. Making a secret password, Peppa and George tease Mommy and Daddy to come in their beautiful tree house.

Peppa and family decide they want to go to the museum. They little ones learn that it is a place filled with old but important things. Peppa loves everything that has to do with kings and queens learning they didn’t have the things we do today. George wants to see the dinosaurs and imagines being one himself.

When the family takes a drive the car stops and has to be taken to Granddad Dog’s Garage. Peppa’s friend Danny also comes along and everyone is towed back to the garage for gas. Suzy Sheep’s car also needs Granddog, Danny and Peppa goes along for the ride. Granny and Grandpa Pig decide to try out the new car wash as well. This is a very busy garage indeed!

Peppa and her family watch Mr. Potato on television as the show teaches everyone how to exercise and eat right. Peppa wants to go see Mr. Potato in town so they take a ride into town to see him open a sports center. He tells the children to draw pictures and send them in the post and Peppa gets a nice surprise.

Suzy Sheep and Peppa Pig are best friends and they share their stories of places they’ve been. When Suzy gets upset with Peppa for talking to much, Mommy Pig says she is a bit of a chatterbox and it takes all their friends to resolve who is really the chatterbox.

Grandpa Pig’s miniature locomotive Gertrude is taking Peppa and George out for a ride. When the town train breaks down, the passengers are upset because they can’t get to work. Borrowing Gertrude, Miss Rabbit gets her passengers where they need to go leaving Grandpa with the big train to fix it.

Mommy Pig shares with Peppa pictures of when she was a baby pig. Sharing the stories of when Peppa and Suzy were babies and then toddlers, they learn that George was a baby too!

In the garden, Peppa and George are bored and Suzy joins them. Daddy Pig takes out a box of games for the kids to play with. He teaches them the game of skittles, bat & ball and doing the limbo.

Finally, Peppa and her friends are in school dressed up in different costumes from all around the world. Peppa is France and George is Russia might be wearing costumes but Madame Gazelle tells them that the song Peace & Harmony is something they all share.

When conflict happens on the playground, the countries begin to behave badly!

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

Entertainment One continues to bring amazing home entertainment to fans with their own library of over 40,000 films and television titles and 45,000 music tracks. I mention those numbers because that is so impressive bringing something for everyone. For more of what they have to offer please visit http://entertainmentone.com/home.

The DVD includes the ten episodes Around the World with Peppa, The Tree House, The Museum, Granddad Dog’s Garage, Mr. Potato Comes to Town, Chatterbox 6, Grandpa Pig’s Train to the Rescue, The Olden Days, Garden Games and International Day.

PEPPA PIG Around the World is clearly adorable on every level possible. From adventures and fun to family spending time together, PEPPA PIG continues to bring story’s that are shareable for the entire family.

With catchy songs that are easy for children to remember and sing themselves, my own granddaughter absolutely loves this series. Once she hears the opening song, no matter where in the house she is, you can be sure to hear running to see what adventure PEPPA PIG is on now.

Their families are all very different but have something amazing in common, their love of family, adventure and fun! The series is created and directed by Mark Baker and Neville Astley and we thank them for bring Peppa Pig into our homes.

In the end – PEPPA PIG and family are on an ointastic adventure across the globe!