Movie Monday: Top 10 Kids Halloween Movies

I haven't done had a "Movie Monday  or "Movie Review" in a while but I figured since Halloween is in 2 days, I'd share my all time favorite Kids Halloween movies. I grew up watching some old-school scary movies too that won't be on this list like... Nightmare on Elm Street etc. but for now, I'm sticking with my favorite old-school kids movies/shows that I will definitely watch every year & want to pass on to the little one & future little ones...

1. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (G)

This is just a classic. Charlie Brown is one of those fellas that you just have to watch every holiday!

2. The Halloween Tree (G)

I had a really hard time trying to remember what this movie was called. When I was younger, my mom had a tape that had a bunch of Halloween shows/movies recorded on it and this was one of my favorites. I'm definitely going to need to purchase this one on DVD or Blu Ray. If you haven't seen it, it's a must see.

3. The Worst Witch (G)

They did a re-make TV show of this movie.. so if you watch it... make sure to watch the old movie from 1986. I'll never forget Mildred Hubble.

4. Mickey's House of Villains

So I admit that I haven't seen this one but my husband says it is his favorite Halloween movie. It has all the Disney villains in it. Sounds interesting. We are going to have to get this one somehow so I can watch it. I love Disney...even the villains.

5. Hocus Pocus (PG)

I totally DVR-ed this the other day! What a great movie. I was always in love with Thackery Binx...

I also always wanted a talking cat due to this movie. It's just a great story!

"I put a spell on you... and now you're mine..."

6. For Better or For Worse (Cartoon Show): 

Good For Nothing (Episode)yep

Yep, I used to watch this every year as a kiddo. I had a "For Better or Worse" holiday episode on each tape. Like I said earlier, my mom would record all the Halloween shows onto a Halloween tape and all the Christmas episodes onto a Christmas tape. It was good stuff and all I watched around Halloween/Christmas time! Have you ever seen "For Better or For Worse"? It's pretty good stuff. You can watch Part 1 of the Halloween Episode here from You tube.

7. Casper (PG)

Um, so this was a year round favorite. Who didn't wish they were Christina Ricci with an awesome friendly ghost at your house? Um..I definitely did. And when Casper turns human... I used to think he was the hottest. Hahaha. 

8. Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie (G)

This is the second movie on my list that I actually haven't seen but I love Pooh bear so I added him to my list. I was also avoiding putting The Nightmare before Christmas or the Corpse Bride because I don't like those movies... so Pooh's Heffalump Halloween movie it is...I'll have to watch this one and let you know how it is.

9. Teen Witch (PG-13)

Um.. Yes.

Haven't seen in awhile so might need to watch before you watch with your kiddos.. Check for language. But then again, it was rated PG-13 in the 80's so it's probably not that bad.

Here is the 411 on this movie (thanks to IMDB): Louise is not very popular at her high school. Then she learns that she's descended from the witches of Salem and has inherited their powers. At first she uses them to get back at the girls and teachers who teased her and to win the heart of the handsome footballer's captain. But soon she has doubts if it's right to 'cheat' her way to popularity.

I loved this and there is even a rap in it by her bff. Haha.

10. Teen Wolf (PG)

I haven't seen this one in a while... but I remember liking it. haha Michael J. Fox plays the Teen Wolf!

Basically he discovers he is a werewolf and you'll just have to watch what happens.

...

So that's my list. A lot of these movies are old-school... so don't judge me.

They are just Halloween-ey and clean good family fun movies! Now, I'm on a mission to go rent a few via Netflix or something before October is over!

Thanks for stoppin' by! That's all for today!

Movie Monday: The Amazing Spider-Man

Well I'm back and so is Movie Mondays... at least for the rest of the summer. 

Our most recent movie theater visit was to see The Amazing Spiderman.

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans

Small Plot Teaser: Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner. You have to watch and see what happens.

Our Review: Noland and I went to see this with my mom when we were visiting my family in North Florida.  The Amazing Spiderman was the best of the Spiderman movies yet. Andrew Garfield was a way better Spiderman than Tobey Maguire. The Amazing Spiderman had a darker, more serious feel than Spiderman movies of the past. 

I really enjoyed Lizard as the villain. He was well developed and kept you on the edge of your seat. It even made me look at real lizards in a different way... haha. I hope no one ever makes giant lizards, because the villain, Lizard was scary. I would not recommend taking little kids to this movie unless they have seen scary movies because it is a little scary. 

I also enjoyed the Gwen Stacy character. She was different than Mary-Jane who you have seen in the past. Emma Stone did a great job as Gwen Stacy and I actually liked her. When Kirsten Dunst played Mary Jane, I was not a fan. There is so much more I could say that I liked about this movie but I really don't want to ruin it. You should definitely check it out for yourself if you like the super hero movies!

THERE IS A POST CREDITS SCENE. So don't forget to stay after so you can see and evaluate what exactly happens for yourself. My wonderful loving husband has two blogs and one of them is called Super Hero Scoop. If you want to read more about the POST CREDITS SCENE click here.

News: It has been confirmed that there The Amazing Spiderman is the first of a trilogy. Two more Spidey movies to come. The Amazing Spiderman 2 should be coming to a theater near you in 2014!

Can't wait for our sweet baby to get here and get into all this superhero stuff! His dad is soo excited too!

These are my personal, non-paid opinions. My husband and I enjoy reviewing movies and wound love to hear your opinion, agree or disagree.

That's all for this Movie Monday! :) 

xoxo Jen

Movie Monday: Madagascar 3

A few days ago, the hubs and I went to see Madagascar 3!

I must say, we LOVED it. 

Brief Synopsis from imdb: Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style.

Our Review: Noland thought this was the best of the three movies and I must say that I agree. It kept us captivated by the story-line and possibly on the edge of our seats with excitement. I loved the Circus part of the whole thing although parts were a little trippy for a kiddo movie. I think it adds to the credit of the movie that I simply love these characters! We will be purchasing this one!

In case you haven't seen it yet, here is the preview:

That's all for this Movie Monday! Be sure to check this movie out!!! Especially if you have kids!

Thanks for stoppin by,

xoxo Jen.

Movie Monday: This Means War

Yup. This week I'm reviewing This Means War.

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine & Tom Hardy

We went to see this back in March with my mom. It was entertaining but definitely not in my top choice of movies. We will not be purchasing this but it does make a great Red Box movie/date night!

It's basically about two guys who are the best of friends to the point they call themselves "brothers". They are both in the CIA and get suspended for causing a little too much trouble. They discover they are dating the same woman and wage an epic battle against one another to destroy the other's relationship with her. 

Here is the preview: 

I say this is the perfect date night movie because it captures the CIA action which keeps you on the edge of your seat (for the men) as well as the lovey cute guys fighting over the girl thing (for the women). 

We were glad we saw it but wish we would have rented it instead have gone in theaters.

Here the boys are pretending to meet and not know each other: 

Like I said, it wasn't our favorite movie... but it was really cute. Check it out and let me know what you think! That's all for this Movie Monday! Thanks for stoppin by! 

xoxo Jen.

Movie Monday: Act of Valor

Happy Memorial Day!

My wonderful husband wrote this review today. I'm so thankful! So here he goes: 

Today we decided to review the most recent military movie because it is Memorial Day. The big draw to this movie and main reason we went is that it starred active duty military personnel. This movie actually portrayed our heroes as heroes!

We actually really liked this movie. Do not listen to the critics. In fact, this movie shows exactly why we do not like most critics. This movie showed our military for what they are, true unselfish heroes. Is that why the critics hated it? It showed Americans as good people which for me is a true refreshing story. I personally am not a big fan of these movies that try to paint Americans as evil.

Here is the preview:

Look, this is just a patriotic movie. It is low budget, does not have real actors, but has active duty personnel as the main characters in the film. Most critics say the acting is bad and perhaps it is, but these are the real life people. Also Hollywood actors didn't make money from this movie, but the military did. What an easy way to support the military with this movie.

The action scenes were really good in this movie. As a guy, I thought this movie had tremendous action. This type of movie is my favorite movie just like most guys. I loved the fast pace action. I loved the patriotism. I could sacrifice the acting because I realized that these weren't real actors. Once again, I would personally prefer to see a true hero than an actor anyway. Finally, I will put it this way, if you like Jarhead, you probably won't like this movie, but if you prefer action movies that actually portray our country positively than you will love it.

-----

It's Jenna again... I loved this movie. Like the hubs said, for guys it had all the action and a great story-line. I must say for us girls, it had the heart, the love, the passion between husband and wife and the difficulty when one's husband leaves to go fight for our country. As we left the theater, I told Noland that it takes such a special type of person to be able to sacrifice their husband's time and life on a daily basis. I'm so thankful for all those who fight for our country, our protection and our freedom! I am appalled by the negative reviews this movie received. This movie was fantastic. If you've got a love for patriotism, I would say this is a great movie to watch... We will be purchasing this one for the movie collection. Let me know if you've seen it or watch it. As always, I'd love to hear your opinions.

That's all for today! Thanks for stoppin by, 

xoxo Jen.

Movie Monday: Summer 2012

Hey Everyone! Today I decided to share some movies I'm excited to see this summer!

So here they are: 

What to Expect when you're Expecting (In Theaters)

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (June 8)

The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3)

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)

So Let's start at the top: 

1. What to Expect When You're Expecting hit theaters this weekend! 

Considering, the fact that I am currently almost 22 weeks pregnant, this movie looks like it could be pretty entertaining. I'm so excited and nervous about being a mother so I think this movie could add some humor to the beautiful process of carrying and delivering a sweet lil baby.

I read a great movie review over at Keeping up with the Cantelmo's. She gave it 3 out of 5 stars. While this movie looks funny, I think I'll listen to Melanie's review save it as a red box rental when it comes out on DVD...Just in case you haven't see the preview, here it is: 

2. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted hits theaters on June 8, 2012! 

Oh my gosh! I can't wait to see this movie! Have you seen the first two? 

Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman are back and still fighting to get home to the New York City Zoo! 

Check it out, Here is the preview:

3. The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters on July 3! I have to say this is the movie that I am most excited to see this summer.. besides the Avengers, which I already saw and reviewed here

My older brother and little nephews love Spider-man. They love the movies with Toby McGuire.. but I personally think this movie is going to be amazing! It will have a little different spin on the whole story with Gwen Stacy!

Here's the synopsis from imdb: 

Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

Here is the preview:

and...

4. Batman: The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters July 20, 2012. 

This looks like it's going to good. I have a few concerns. I'm not a big Anne Hathaway fan and I hope she doesn't ruin this movie.. I feel bad saying that. I used to think she was a great wholesome girl but the past few years & her past few movies, I no longer feel that way!

Here's the synopsis from imdb: 

Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face's crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy

Here is the preview:

Don't all these movies look good?!

What movie are you looking forward to seeing this summer?

Leave me a comment and let me know! 

That's all I have for today! Thanks for stoppin' by

Movie Monday: The Avengers

I am so excited for this Review!

The Avengers

This movie was awesome! We went on Friday around 4:30pm to beat the crowds! Well maybe you didn't grow up watching these crazy super heroes.. the way my husband did. But I bet you've heard of them: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawk Eye, & Black Widow! Well here is the trailer: 

I thought it would be nice if you had a male's opinion on the movie... here's what my amazing husband had to say: 

The Avengers was a brilliant movie. It is now my favorite superhero movie and that is saying something. I convinced Jenna that we should have many superhero movies and that would probably be our number 1 movie genre besides maybe Disney movies. I guess technically marvel movies are Disney movies so they dominate our movie list.

Anyways, this movie was great and has everything we look for in a movie. It had an incredibly well developed storyline and each Avenger played very well off of each other. I thought Cap and Iron Man fit the best together and I loved some of their back and forth. Marvel could not have had a better pick for those two that I can think of. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans are amazing as Iron Man and Captain America respectively.

 It was cool how Coulson loved Cap too. Captain America is my all-time favorite superhero so I was glad to see someone share my fandom. This movie did a fantastic job with the Hulk as well. Hulk was used perfectly in this film and it really helped bring the movie along.

 I also thought Loki was the best developed villain of the Marvel movies thus far. It seems like they might do even better with the next Avengers movie given the teaser scene during the credits. I won’t give it away, but I recommend seeing it if you are a fan of Marvel Comics and what they do.

Negatives: The only thing I didn't really like was how they used Hawkeye. I think he could have been developed a little better because he didn't have his own movie and was used the least in previous movies. Thought they could have done a better job with him.

 It would have been nice to see the Black Panther in this movie as well. He is my second favorite avenger so that would have been cool. Maybe next time. There was one other part I disliked when Loki killed somebody, but I don’t want to give it away for those that haven’t seen yet. You should see it soon though; Jenna and I will probably go again very soon...

Thanks hubs! The only things I have to add: The special effects were awesome! We saw it in 3D and I feel like if you like action movies, you will love it either way! It also had a lot of humorous parts! We really enjoyed it! I hope you will share your opinion if you saw it! 

That's all for this Movie Monday! Thanks for stoppin by!

xoxo Jen.

Movie Monday: Winnie the Pooh

I'm starting a new weekly blog schedule... This is our first Movie Monday! 

And this week I'm talking about Winnie the Pooh! 

Have you seen it? 

It's so cute! My husband and I loved it. Although we have a little bun in the oven, we will definitely be purchasing this one in the future. Winnie the Pooh is one of our favorites.. and boy or girl, we know our little one is going to love Pooh bear!

Plot Summary: During an ordinary day in Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh sets out to find some honey. Misinterpreting a note from Christopher Robin, Owl convinces Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet,Pooh, Kanga, Roo, and Eeyore that their young friend has been captured by a creature named "Backsoon" and they set out to save him. (from imdb)

Our Review: This movie is definitely for kids! According to Rotten Tomatoes, it scored at 91% out of 100%! My husband and I loved it. Anyone who watches it has to keep in mind that this is a children's movie. So open your mind to see through the eyes of a child, and you'll love it too! Pooh is so friendly and love-able! We'd like to recommend it to ya! Enjoy and leave me a comment with your opinion!

One of my favorite things about this movie is the soundtrack! Zooey Deschanel does the theme song and a few other songs... Here is "So Long" by Zooey! Take a listen here: 

That's all I have for today! Hope you will check it out if you have some kiddos or just enjoy kids movies! 

Next Monday's movie: The Avengers!

Going with the hubs this weekend to see it! Can't wait! 

Thanks for stoppin' by:

xoxo Jen.

Disney Movie Countdown

Hi everyone this is Noland...not Jenna. Jenna and I love to watch movies and we find ourselves watching Disney movies all of the time. I even gave Jenna Lion King 1 1/2 in her Easter Basket, and Fox and the Hound to our baby we are anxiously awaiting. So I decided to do my top Disney list and Jenna will post hers soon. They match up pretty well, although I have one way higher than her and she will have the same. We decided not to include Marvel movies, even though they are now owned by Disney, and only do animated movies too. Otherwise Remember the Titans would definitely be on mine. Enjoy the countdown 10 to 1 and leave some comments!

When I went to work on this list I could have sworn Rio was a Disney movie, but apparently it is not. That movie would have easily been top 5 if it was a Disney movie.

10) Fantasia

Some people are surprised that I like Fantasia so much. I actually like Fantasia 2000 too. As someone that did not like the Pink Panther some think that I would not like the lack of dialogue. However, I think the music and short scenes blend perfectly. Not usually my cup of tea with the music, but I like this.

9) Toy Story 3

This is one of the few Disney sequels to hit the mark. It was not that much worse than the first movie. No wonder this movie did so great in the box office. The one thing I did not like was Buzz being re programmed and Spanish Buzz. I am a Buzz Lightyear fan. Jenna and I had a bet about who was better between Buzz and Woody. We asked many people and the results were inconclusive although Buzz was in the lead. Maybe you all can settle the dispute. Team Buzz!

8) The Little Mermaid

There was a time when I would have said the Little Mermaid is my #3 Disney movie. I still hold it in high regard. The songs are fantastic and I like the show at Disney. I do not think it is overly girly at all. I actually like this movie better than Jenna. Since this was near the top though I saw the next three movies for the first time and really realized that I liked the 4th and 3rd movies better. I love "Under the Sea" though, it is a top 5 Disney song.

7) Meet the Robinsons

This is an unbelievable film. I cannot believe I did not see it until this past year. It has so many wonderful things about it. Also the family has a pretty great last name if I must say so myself. This was an incredibly entertaining movie. I would assume this is the movie on my countdown that the least people have scene so I won't give away too much, but I highly recommend this movie.

6) Lion King 1 1/2

As I said earlier, Disney sequels usually aren't too great. Disney tried to buck this trend by doing a new story to go along with a classic and it worked. It was not quite as good as the original, but it was pretty dang good. This movie focuses on Timon and Pumba and goes along with the original. It also had a new role for Rafiki which was interesting. My favorite part is the end when Pumba asks to watch again and a lot of other Disney character come in. You have to see it!

5) Tangled

I gotta admit I was always excited for this movie with Mandy Moore being the Disney Princess and it exceeded every expectation I had for it. It will definitely be in Jenna's top 5 as well. I would say it is the Disney movie that we watch most often and we are both huge fans of it. My favorite character is the chameleon and Rapunzel is my favorite Disney princess. The songs are fantastic, of course, and it is a very interesting story.

4) Toy Story

I went back and forth between this and the other movie for the number 3 Disney movie and eventually went against this movie. However, if I did the list again don't be surprised if this is the #3 movie. I left it here because the #3 movie is a bit more of a "classic." I just love Toy Story though. My personal favorite is Rex!

3) The Fox & The Hound

I bought this movie for our soon to be baby because it was the only one of my top 5 movies that we did not own yet. I wanted to share the finer point of Disney classics with our lil one. Having this movie for years will definitely be a treat. Tod and Copper are the best of friends in a very unusual set of circumstances. This movie is a classic.

2) The Lion King

The Lion King is #1 on most peoples lists, but not mine or Jenna's. You cannot refute its greatness and it is in both of our top threes. It is the movie that everyone agrees is great. An undisputed masterpiece and something that will stand the test of time. The characters and songs are amazing and this movie could easily be put as #1. If I did not love the #1 movie so much, it would have been the top movie. My favorite character in this movie is Rafiki and I just think he is awesome. The characters all play very well off each other and there is a reason all kids know Simba, Nala, Rafiki, Timon, Pumba, and Scar. Great character development in this movie.

And the number one movie....

The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book is the best movie by Disney by a long shot in my opinion. It has the best and most memorable songs, the most well developed character, and the best Disney Villain. Seriously, who is a better villain than Sher Khan? Baloo is the best Disney character and who can forget "I wanna be like you" and "The Bare Necessities." Honestly, this movie has my top two Disney characters because I also love King Louie. It is just an amazing film. It is unfortunate that Disney World doesn't have a Jungle Book ride and that many kids today don't even know the story. This movie which was Disney's last is a pure classic though and always will be.

Honorable Mentions: 
Lilo & Stich, The Rescuers Down Under, Return of Jafar, Winnie The Pooh, Hercules, The Incredibles

Thanks for stoppin by,
Noland

Hunger Games Movie Review

Have you read the book?

It is soo good! I did a book review awhile ago which you can read here!

Here's the preview:

Highlights: This movie really did follow closely with the book. There were a few details that they left out which really bothered me because I loved every inch of the book. The characters really fit the part, and my favorite was Rue--She was so cute.

Disappointments: If you haven't read the book, I can't imagine that you would love the movie, because you don't get a full explanation of what is going on. I would recommend reading a summary before you go just to get the gist. My husband went with me and he liked it but I did not explain a lot of the details so he mostly just liked it because he expected it to be horrible... and it wasn't. haha. 

To Know ahead of time: It is important to be knowledgeable that this is a post-apocalyptic nation called Panem. There used to be 13 districts and a capitol in this nation but the 13th district rebelled and the Capitol one. Every year as punishment to keep the other districts from revolting, the Capital hosts the Hunger Games! One boy and one girl aged 12-18 from each of the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle in which only one person can survive. The winners are crowned by President Snow, receive a large amount of money to keep them comfortable for the rest of their lives, a monthly allowance of food for the rest of his/her life, a house to live in through out their lives and a victor's plaque from each district.

Also the Capitol is the richest, which each district getting poorer-- all the way to District 12 being the poorest. District 12 is where Katniss is from.

I love details. I felt the movie left out a lot of important details but my  husband said if they would have included everything, it would have been long and boring. --I totally agree. Also, if they would have included everything, it probably would have been rated R. For a movie where kids are killing each other, Hollywood managed to pull this off gracefully. 

Here's Taylor Swift's song from the movie: 

Here is my movie rating of this movie: 

That's all for now!

Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!

PS. Leave me your opinion if you saw the movie...