film Archives - Rave & Review

Disney’s Coco opens in theaters today

Are you as excited about Disney-Pixar’s Coco as we are? This was a movie the kids and I have been waiting for, and I have to admit I was apprehensive that it was going to disappoint. We’ve been going to Seattle’s Day of the Dead festival for years so this was a subject we’ve talked … Read more

CARS 3 comes racing home on DVD and Blu-ray

For 6+ years, we’ve been mega fans of the Disney•Pixar’s CARS franchise. Our love started when my son became obsessed with all things that go and especially connected with CARS because of the fact that the films gave backstories and personalities to humanize cars, trucks, and other vehicles. After all of these years, we have … Read more

Sharing our love of Cars 3

For the past few years, we’ve been mega fans of the Disney-Pixar Cars franchise. It started when my son saw the first movie when we was tiny and he was so smitten with things that go and the fact that the films gave backstories and personalities to humanize cars, trucks, and other vehicles. After seeing … Read more

10 reasons to own ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY on DVD and Blu-ray

Lucasfilm’s first-ever standalone Star Wars adventure, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is out on DVD and Blu-ray today! I know from experience that the last few months have been torture for Star Wars mega fans everywhere. My son must have asked every singe weekend if he could go see "Rode One", and sadly our budget didn't allow for weekly screenings. But, then he happened to catch a commercial about the DVD release and it was all over after that. So, as for the probability that we would eventually one Rogue One? It was high. Very high.

Here are 10 reasons why you should own ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY:

Disney’s Moana obession level: High

Our Moana obsession started as soon as we saw the first trailers for Disney’s newest full-length animated film, and it persisted even after we saw the movie in theaters {not just once, but twice, which is something we never do}. The kids were counting down the days until they could own the movie themselves, so to make do in the interim between theater and DVD, we got the Moana soundtrack with songs by the amazing songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. The soundtrack quickly intensified their obsession and it basically hasn’t left the CD player in weeks.

And while some movies are great because they hold our interest and have great soundtracks, Moana was a movie I could get behind 100%. Instead of the tired old story of princess and prince waiting for each other in order to be happy and fulfilled, Disney is shaking up the game by offering us truly strong female characters. Moana is the newest in their lineup of progressive heroines that value self-discovery, independence, and rising to any challenge. This is why I not only allow the Moana obsession, but I also encourage it. This is why we’re all thrilled to announce that Moana is finally available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand! Wooohooo! Even though the littlest one pronounces it “Noana”, the excitement she holds for the movie, the music, and all the new characters doesn’t need translating. This is a little girl who has been waiting for a 1/4 of her life for this day….

Marvel’s Doctor Strange is out on DVD and Blu-ray today

Remember when I told you not to wait to see Doctor Strange until it came out on DVD? Well, I hope you took my advice and saw it in theaters and then loved it as much as we did. And, I hope you adored it so much that you then were counting down the days until it was released on DVD so you could watch it over and over again. Like us.

We got to introduce our kids to Doctor Strange this week and their little minds were blown by the new superhero. “Is he a bad guy?”, “What are his superpowers?”, “Is he going to be okay?” So many questions. But, can you blame them? Doctor Strange is like nothing they have ever seen before, and a superhero like no other. As a parent, I loved them seeing a Marvel character that learned how to be a superhero. Rather than some accidental spill of radioactive material or a super power that comes on overnight, Doctor Strange just worked hard and studied. I loved his transformation from an arrogant and famous neurosurgeon who embarks on a journey to find healing. When his travels take him to Kamar-Taj, a mysterious enclave where he learns that there is more to the center than meets the eye, you see the true superhero emerge.

The LEGO Batman Movie hits theaters today!

The newest LEGO movie is out today, and kids everywhere are busy trying to talk their parents into taking them to see the LEGO Batman Movie. So, I’m betting you’re wondering if you should take your children to see it in theater or just wait for it on DVD? The short answer is yes, you definitely should schedule a theater date.

When the first LEGO Movie came out, we were all big fans. In fact, we’ve spent way more time singing “Everything is awesome” than I’d like to admit, as well as having added “Kragle” to our regular vocabulary. The LEGO Movie was one of the few movies that parents, grandparents, and kids could all agree on, and as a result it quickly became a must-own DVD when it was released.

In addition to introducing us to exciting new characters and taking us deep into the world of LEGO, another standout part of the first movie was the inclusion of the beloved LEGO Batman. So, as soon as we heard a LEGO Batman Movie was in the works, we were all very excited to see it as soon as possible.

Bring home a classic with Pinocchio on DVD and Blu-ray

Pinocchio has always been one of those movies that I could watch again and again, so I’ve been waiting for the day that the elusive Disney vault would open and they would re-release Pinocchio on DVD and Blu-ray so we could purchase it {and finally rid ourselves of one of the last few VHS videos we still own}. Besides our own love for Pinocchio, it was also one of our Grandma’s favorites. After she passed away this last year we really wanted to share her love of Pinocchio with our kids, and were thrilled when Pinocchio was slated for a January 2017 release.

The Walt Disney Signature Collection release of Pinocchio is available January 31st, 2017 and includes hours of classic bonus material and exclusive features including a reinvented rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star” created and performed by music influencers from Disney’s Maker Studios. It also contains never-before-seen artwork from the film’s Pleasure Island sequence and archival recordings of Walt himself during Pinocchio production.

Not familiar with Disney’s Pinocchio? Pinocchio tells the tale of wood-carver Geppetto’s beloved puppet who embarks on a thrilling quest – with faithful friend Jiminy Cricket – that tests his bravery, loyalty and honesty, all virtues he must learn to fulfill his heart’s desire: to become a real boy.

Preserving memories made easy with Hammacher Schlemmer’s Photo Album Scanner

Every time I visit with my mom, I am given a stack of photo albums my mom has unearthed with the instruction to scan our old family images to share with my siblings. The problem is, I never have my computer with me, let alone my scanner/copier. So, I end up either taking the whole album with me in order to pull it apart to scan, or we take the album apart and I end up leaving with sandwich baggies full of pictures, some of which are ruined during the removal process. Obviously, neither of these methods is ideal.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could scan those old pictures while you're taking a walk down memory lane? Imagine flipping through an old photo album, finding a priceless gem, and then scanning it to save it electronically – all without ever taking it out of the photo album. Dream no more, because Hammacher Schlemmer has made it not only possible, but also a ton of fun. Their new Rapid Photo Album Scanner that is exclusive to Hammacher Schlemmer does just what I've always dreamed of and converts all those old photographs into digital images in just seconds,allowing you to reminisce and relive old memories while saving them easily for future use.

What I wish I knew going into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated, first-ever standalone Star Wars adventure, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is in theaters today! So, I bet you’re wondering what the probability is that you will like Rogue One? It’s high. Very high.

In an effort to be surprised by the film and not have it ruined by spoilers or fan theories, I have stayed away from social media for the past few days after the LA premiere. Waiting until I got a chance to see it this week at a prescreening in Seattle was torture, but I’m happy to say that I went in knowing absolutely nothing about the film other than the character’s names {which I couldn’t shield myself from since they are fully saturating the toy department and have been for weeks}. That being said, I do wish there were a couple of things I did know going into watching Rogue One, and they are as follows: