THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT is From VeggieTales

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the beloved characters created to charm our imaginations now helping us celebrate the holidays with VEGGIETALES: The Best Christmas Gift.  

The Veggies are preparing for Christmas as Bob and Larry get things together for a holiday show in Mr. Nezzer's theatre. There are songs to learn and dances and costumes to gather in order to make the show a success. Arthur seems to be having a difficult time and Archibald Asparagus is preparing all the food from different parts of the world to share.

But things start to go wrong as the other Veggies decide they want something else because food from different countries just isn't working. They also have a problem as Bob has to explain what a Christmas tree is and how it is decorated. They believe their celebration is in jeopardy without setting things right.

Then it comes to them that it's time to remember what the holidays are truly all about. There is a story that needs telling and it just might be what is needed to the unhappy veggies back to a holiday space. It's about a Jr. sheppard, wise persons and a place called Bethlehem. The Veggies are bringing joy and a story about a new king to an audience who is riveted.

There is a call for an encore from the performing Veggies and the holiday is saved!

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are film of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The DVD includes Bonus Features of Introducing: The VeggieTales Show, Sing Song Karaoke, Behind the Scenes: Silly Song Remixes, Audio Commentary, and Trailer. Introducing All New Silly Song Remixes of The Hairbrush Song and The Water Buffalo Song. Plus A Veggie Tales Christmas, Song & Story Mash Up and Downloadable Parental Discussion Guide which is available at www.VeggieTales.com

Is there anything more enchanting than singing Veggies? I hardly think so! These lovely and very animated characters bring so much to the holidays. Not only do they embrace trying foods from other countries but they want all Veggies to feel the love of the holidays. From their version of the Christmas Story which is not only charming but extremely cute, but their own decorating and singing version of a Christmas tree.

The Veggies want everyone to understand that the love of family comes from a special place and that Christmas brings good news for us all. The world may seem to be a messy place for the Veggies but that isn't about to stop them from celebrating the holidays even through the bumps and crazy happenings because they have each other.

It has been 29 years since the inception of the VeggieTales and this story is one of the newest that will be coming once again. Created by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki, the idea was to bring Christian themes to an animated story that included the characters of fruits and vegetables. Living on the counter of a kitchen, Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, Junior and Archibald Asparagus, Petunia Rhubarb, Pa Grape, Laura Carrot, Madame Blueberry, the French Peas and so many more were born.

The VeggieTales have grown and have been shared over and over with the children who are riveted by these characters. THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT is another story to be shared with each other and bring the family together for a little bit of seasonal celebrating!

In the end - it is a timeless story of hope!

Disney’s CINDERELLA is Celebrating an Anniversary on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray/DVD and Digital from Walt Disney and directors Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wilfred Jackson is the animated story of CINDERELLA Anniversary Edition.

Cinderella was a happy child in the loving home and a loving father. All of that changed the day he brought home a new wife, Lady Tremaine and her two daughters Anastasia and Drizella. Soon after her father passes leaving Cinderella to the mercy of an unforgiving step-mother.

The young girl is sent to live in the dankest part of the house and made to wait on Lady Tremaine and daughters. From sun-up to sun-down the only friends she has are the house mice like Gus and Jaq, birds and dog Bruno.

The palace where the king and queen live are planning a ball for their son the Prince. Invitations are made and sent out all over the land and that includes Cinderella’s home. Excited, the girls begin barking orders to Cinderella for shoes, bows and dresses. Asking Lady Tremaine if she may also attend, the reply is that if she finished all her chores then Cinderella may go.

She immediately finds a dress that belonged to her mother and feels that she will never get it ready in time. That’s when Jaq, Gus and her feathered friends have a plan of their own and redesign the dress beautifully. Dressed and ready to go, it doesn’t take long before Lady Tremaine watches Anastasia and Drizella take apart Cinderella’s dress.

Crying in the dried garden, Cinderella is visited by her Fairy Godmother who creates a coach and footman so that she can go to the ball. She also creates the most stunning gown for the young girl and sends her on her way with a warning to be home before midnight.

At the ball, the prince is captured by Cinderella as he walks away from other ladies waiting to dance to spend time with her. They danced to amazing music and as time passed so did the clock as it begins to strike midnight.

Trying to excuse herself from the prince is difficult but as she makes her way to the carriage, one of her slippers falls off. What she doesn’t know is that the Prince is taken with her enough to send word out far and wide to find her.

Her life is about to change forever!

The voice cast include Elene Woods as Cinderella, Eleanor Audley as Lady Tremaine, Verna Felton as the Fairy Godmother, Rhoda Williams as Drizella Tremaine, James MacDonald as Jaq and Gus, Luis van Rooten as the King and Grand Duke, Don Barclay as the Doorman, Mike Douglas, William Phipps as Prince Charming and Lucille Bliss as Anastasia Tremaine.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment began distributing under its own label in 1980 and continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

The Bluray/DVD include the Special Features with Two Ways to Watch – Original Theatrical Version and New: In Walt’s Words: The Envisioning of Cinderella, From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella, The Cinderella That Almost Was, Try This Trivia on for Size – Disney Channel Stars Ruth Righi and Ava Kolker Reveal Fun Facts and so much more!

CINDERELLA was released in 1950 based on the fairy tale by Charles Perrault. This was to be Disney’s twelfth animated film that would bring about some of the most popular songs of the day. They include A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, Sing Sweet Nightingale and So This is Love.

The story of Cinderella would bring about CINDERELLA II: Dreams Come True in 2002 and CINDERELLA III: A Twist in Time in 2007. It would be in 2015 when a live-action version of the film would hit theatres.

That being said, it is still the original CINDERELLA that families are first introduced to. That’s because it is beautiful, fun, and filled with the magic we have always come to associate with Disney. It has creatures that are beloved and a story that is relatable to us all on so many levels. CINDERELLA is part of the Prestigious National Film Registry as well it should be.

Celebrate the anniversary of one of the most iconic animated films that still holds a candle to the hearts of us all with Disney’s CINDERELLA.

In the end – a dream is a wish your heart makes!

CMA AWARDS LIVE: Greatest Moments 1968-2015 Brings the Best Performances to DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from Time Life is a New Years gift that will keep on giving to country music fans who remember the music and want to see it again with the CMA AWARDS LIVE: Greatest Moments 1968-2015.

It has been 50 years since the CMA Awards have recognized the performances of some of country music’s greats. Time Life offers a look back to 1968 with amazing performances from singers I learned about from my father. In this three disc set, fans will be delighted in what this three disc set has to offer.

Beginning with the 2^nd Annual CMA Awards in 1968 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee we start with a song that still brings me to tears to this day. Bobby Goldsboro croons us with his rendition of the hit song Honey only to be charged right away with Johnny Cash and Folsom Prison Blues.

Two other hits of country music brought by strong women are Harper Valley PTA by Jeannie C. Riley and D-I-V-O-R-C-E from Tammy Wynette. Entertainer of the Year Glen Campbell  performs his haunting hit By The Time I Get To Phoenix.

The 4^th and 5^th CMA Awards also at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville has performances by Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Sixteen Tons and the wild performance by Jerry Reed with When You’re Hot, You’re Hot. Female Vocalist of the Year Lynn Anderson sweetly sings Rose Garden and Male Vocalist of the Year Charlie Pride reminds us all to Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’.

At the 7^th CMA Awards, a very young Tanya Tucker tells us the story of Delta Dawn and Female Vocalist of the Year Loretta Lynn tell us all that Love Is The Foundation. There is also a Bonus Feature of a Charlie Pride Interview along with an interview with Sarah Trahern, the CEO CMA.

On disc two, the 19^th Annual CMA Awards in 1985 at the Grand Old Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, fans get their first glimpse of The Highwaymen. Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson come together to perform memorably.

The 20^th and 21^st Annual CMA Awards bring Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty on stage to belt out Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man. Lionel Richie takes the stage with the group ALABAMA to sing Deep River Woman. At the 21^st CMA, Randy Travis wins Single of the Year with Forever and Ever, Amen as well as winning Male Vocalist of the Year.

At the 22^nd Annual CMA, it is John Denver that sings a song that still hits the heart of fans today with Back Home, Again. Clint Black receives the Horizon Award and performs Killin’ Time at the 23^rd Annual CMA.

The 24^th and 25^th Annual CMA’s bring Single of the Year winner Vince Gill to the stage with Patty Loveless to sing When I Call Your Name. Personal favorite Travis Tritt brings his southern growl telling us all to Put Some Drive In Your Country. Trisha Yearwood with She’s In Love With The Boy and a foot stompin’ Alan Jackson singing Don’t Rock The Jukebox.

The DVD includes a Bonus Feature of Record Breakers: King George with more on a man who kept the charts buzzing – George Strait.

On disc three and the 40^th Annual CMA’s in 2012 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, a very, very young Taylor Swift sings Begin Again as well as Little Big Town with Pontoon. The 47^th Annual CMA unites Alan Jackson and George Strait with He Stopped Loving Her Today. The Vocal Duo of the Year went to Florida George Line as they sang Round Here.

At the 48^th and 49^th Annual CMA, Keith Urban performs Somewhere In My Car and Dierks Bentley tells us about being Drunk On A Plane. Sam Hunt reminds us to Take Your Time and Little Big Town sings Girl Crush.

Finish the 49^th Annual CMA’s is a performance that still finds its way around the internet through YouTube and Facebook because its that damn good! Justin Timberlake joins Chris Stapleton for a soul rendering Tennessee Whiskey/Drink You Away and now you can see and hear it again and again! The Bonus Feature on this disc is Blake Shelton Entertain ‘Em, Blake!

That’s just the performances on the Time Life CMA AWARDS LIVE: Greatest Moments 1968-2015. Besides the 40 performances by some of the most legendary singers in country music, there are unforgettable moments as well.

There are Award Acceptance speeches from Country Music legends like Glen Campbell and Charlie Pride as well as Loretta Lynn and Lynn Anderson. You can also go behind the scenes on Country Music’s Biggest Night to see interviews.

Time Life continues to bring never before released anywhere classic collections of television shows for fans to revisit and remember what has made television so special. Time Life has released Mama’s Family, CPO Sharkey and The Tonight Show and they now reminds of us of a time when sex and politics were up for grabs with ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN. For more of what Time Life has to offer fans of classic television visit www.timelife.com.

As someone who was raised around all kinds of music (my mother loved opera) but it was my dad was one of country music’s biggest fans. On reel-to-reel and vinyl, country music was always being played in the house. When we went for drives and camping, it was country music that came out of the AM-FM radio. That’s what country music does, it finds its audience through average people who understand the heartache, the daily life and the humor in this life.

Once the CMA Awards came to the airwaves, it was a chance to expand their reach into a bigger audience who came to embrace the music. The performances were sometimes teary, sometimes funny and sometimes to-the-bone in reality and Time Life gives us a chance to see them again and again.

This is an astounding CMA collection of legendary performers and performances that I can’t recommend highly enough. It was pretty cool to revisit some of the moments I shared in my younger days listening to country music and taking a look at how far country music has taken us all.

In the end – these are Country Music’s Greatest Moments with more to come!