Thank you EG PR for sending us a screener link!

Many people enjoy at least one cup of coffee throughout the day.  I must admit that I’m not one of them.  I’ve tried coffee before, but in order for me to enjoy it, I had to drown out the taste with so much milk and sugar that I may as well just drink a glass of milk instead.  After watching Caffeinated, there’s a good chance I just drank some crappy coffee and perhaps a specialty coffee may change my opinion on this popular commodity.

Even though coffee isn’t a big part of my life, the production of it is truly fascinating and this two-hour documentary explains how it is planted, harvested, hand sorted, washed, de-pulped, dried, roasted and then processed or prepared by a barista.   While the movie does mention mass produced coffee, its main focus is on specialty coffee and the farmers that make it.

Farmers from Nicaragua, India, Mexico, Turkey, Ethiopia, Honduras, and Guatemala are all interviewed to share how they rely on this fruit for their livelihood.  I learned that coffee comes from two different plant types, Arabica and Robusta, and that they grow in 4-6,000 feet altitude in the tropical band of our planet.   The Robusta plant is heartier and produces coffee beans with more caffeine and sugar, but less of an aroma.

Thank you Rogers and Cowen for sending us this DVD to review!

I have read and listened to the Bible in different formats and in a few translations.  I have also seen many film adaptions of Biblical stories and the life, death, and resurrections of Jesus.  Many of these films and story books leave out verses and some context from the scriptures.  The Gospel of John doesn’t have that issue as this is a word-for word movie adaptation of the entire book of John.  It has support for many different languages and translations.  I found it humorous that the KJV version is in stereo while the NIV translation is in 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio.  I guess those still stuck on the old fashioned KJV don’t have modern stereo equipment?      

The Bible translation is spoken over the Aramaic dialogue of the actors.  I didn’t recognize any of the actors in this film or even Jesus at first.  He didn’t look like typical painting portrayals of being Caucasian with brown hair.  In this movie he was more Semitic with black hair and a beard with a touch of gray in it.    

While my kids watched this 161-minute movie with us, it did lose the attention of my youngest a couple of hours into it.  Thankfully the whipping and crucifixion scenes were not as graphic as depicted in The Passion.  The message was very clear and touching to the point of putting a lump in my throat a couple of times.  

Thank you MPRM for sending us this DVD to review!

Shelby is a beagle that has lived in a dog pound for as long as he can remember.  He has a habit of escaping at every opportunity, and Doug the dog catcher (played by Tom Arnold) catches him every time.  Just when Shelby was about to be generously adopted by a rich mother and her spoiled son, Shelby manages to escape once again.  

Instead of running home free, Shelby gets hit by a truck and is taken in by the man who hit him since the vet’s office was closed for Christmas.  The wife can’t stand dogs, but she doesn’t get to meet Shelby as he slips out of the truck and into their basement as soon and the husband pulls into their driveway.  Their son, Jake finds Shelby and takes a liking to him and names him after his favorite magician, P. T. Shelby.  Jake bonds to Shelby right away since he doesn’t have any human friends.

Between Shelby and Jake’s uncle’s dog who is also uninvited, things get pretty hairy around Christmas dinner. Doug the dog-catcher comes by looking for Shelby and sneaks a peek of Jake’s mom changing her shirt after wine got spilled on it.  Besides the relatively tame peep show, there is plenty of potty humor involving laxatives and breaking the law to take stuff that is not legally yours.  In the end there is one good lesson taught, and that is to never beat an animal under any circumstance.  There are some warm and fuzzy moments at the end about Christmas being all about family and togetherness.  That’s all fine and good but I still prefer Jesus to be front and center during our Christmas celebration.

Thank you Sicily Publicity for sending us a screener of this film!

Jay Bartlett and Rob McCallum live in Canada and have been lifelong friends and fans of Nintendo games since the NES era. Although Jay had a decent NES collection, he longed to eventually own all 678 Nintendo licensed games. Over the summer Rob gave Jay a lofty challenge: To collect all 678 North America released games using his own funds, no internet, and having to do it all in thirty days. Jay accepted and this movie was born.

Jay was not allowed to use his existing collection so he began his journey locally and talked/negotiated with friends and nearby game resale shops. When he collected all that he could, Jay and Rob set off on one of many road trips to the USA and expand their horizons and game collection there. 

Out of all of the NES games the rarest three are Stadium Events, Little Samson, and Bonk’s Adventure. Some of these games go for hundreds if not thousands of dollars apiece. Not only is buying these on ebay or craigslist not allowed, it’s not as fun. Part of the video game experience is how they are acquired along with the fun gameplay. Most gamers have specific games that have sentimental value to them. 

Many awesome game collections are shown in this film along with professional gamers and those who are featured in the Guinness book of world records. Besides fine-tuning his negotiation skills, Jay got to meet some video gaming legends who put him in touch with potential sellers of rare NES cartridges. While the viewers are made aware of some of the prices, most of the costs and total money spent remains a mystery.

I will not spoil the ending, but I do recommend this film for gamers who have a soft spot for the NES console. Many good memories came rushing back as I recognized many of the games collected. Some I didn’t even know existed! While Nintendo Quest is mostly kid friendly, there is some language. Some of it is bleeped out but holy sh*t and hell are clearly heard. This film can be rented on Vimeo for $7.99 or digitally owned for $12.99.

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

We have previously reviewed My Little Pony Rainbow Rocks and Equestria Girls and my kids thoroughly enjoyed those movies.  Surprisingly, my son enjoyed them all as well. Along with those two movies, Friendship Games is included in a 3 movie combo pack that will list for less than $25.  This is quite a bargain for My Little Pony fans.

Since this is our first time watching Friendship Games here’s our review of it: 

Rainbow Dash sent out an emergency text gathering all of the members in the band in fear of Canterlot High School being in danger.  As it turns out, it was a false alarm since Rainbow Dash only needed a replacement guitar string.  Instead of heading home right away Sunset Shimmer hangs around the portal for a little bit and catches a mysterious figure scanning the statue/portal.  Could it be someone from Crystal Prep Academy pranking their school for the upcoming Friendship Games competition?  Canterlot High School has never won a competition against Crystal Prep so their morale is pretty low until Rainbow Dash rallies everyone up with a stellar performance.  Could magic be involved in her performance?  Sunset Shimmer has been tasked to get to the bottom of it to avoid their school from being disqualified for magic use.  Twilight Sparkle is also looking into this phenomenon.  

The Twilight Sparkle in this show doesn’t know anyone in Canterlot High School since she is a Crystal Prep student.  However, they all know who she is and don’t know why she doesn’t recognize them and suddenly wears glasses.  They also discover that she has the ability to steal magic.  Will the Friendship Games go on without a hitch?  Watch to find out because I’m not going to spoil it for you!

Thank you MPRM Communications for sending us this DVD to review!

While my kids and I were not necessarily looking forward to watching a sports related movie, we're all glad we gave it a shot.  Golden Shoes is about an eight year old boy named Christian Larou who lives and breathes soccer.   He wants to be like the professional footballer Christiano Ronaldo.   Christian's dad is on active duty in Afghanistan and his mother is working long hours and struggles taking her son to soccer practice.  

For some reason their neighbor, Frank, has a chip on his shoulder and is blackmailing the coach to put his twin boys on the playing field more than Christian. As a result, Christian's athletic abilities are suffering.  Instead of catching a break, Christian's life gets more difficult when his mother is bed-ridden in the hospital for a while.  Since Christian has no relatives and his dad is MIA, he is forced to live in Frank's basement until his mother recuperates.

Much like Cinderella, Christian is treated very poorly compared to Frank's sons and is given some golden soccer shoes that unlock his hidden talent that propels his team into the play-offs.  Not only does Christian become an inspiration to his teammates, he becomes a local hero that attracts the attention of talent scouts, and even the president of the United States.       

Thank you Click Communications for sending us this DVD to review!

This 115 minute DVD features three problem solving and singing episodes that involve ghosts, pirates, and your favorite Disney characters. Included in the DVD is a trick or treat bag that is more of a novelty than useful given its small size.  Thankfully, my kids still enjoyed the DVD regardless. 

In the first episode Mickey has a surprise picnic planned for Minnie and hopes that she will say yes. She does and they start on their way. The weather starts out beautiful, but that soon changes.  Upon trying to turn around, their car breaks down and gets two flat tires.  A creepy castle is just up ahead; they or course they go there seeking help.  

Once inside, they meet the flying Count Mickula who is very helpful and offers to help fix their car while they stay at his castle. The only downside is that Count Mickula believes that his castle is haunted. In return for helping them fix their car, Minnie and Mickey offer to help explore the castle to confirm or deny that suspicion.  

Along the way Mickey and Minnie will gather various tools used to solve riddles throughout the show.  The kids are encouraged to deduce which tool will solve each dilemma presented to them.  There is also plenty of singing and dancing they're asked to participate in as well.  The songs and atmosphere reminds me of the Rocky Horror Picture Show with much cleaner lyrics and characters of course!  

Thank you

Thank you Disney for sending us this movie to review!

Unlike previous Disney movies, Descendants opens up with a story from a tablet instead of a book.  When Belle and Beast married they rounded up all of the villains and cast them away on an island with no Wifi and no escape.  That is until Belle and Beast's son, Ben, is crowned king of Auradon and gives the offspring of the most notorious villains a chance to live a normal life in his kingdom.  Their parents Evil Queen (Snow White), Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Jafar (Aladdin), and Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmations) eagerly await their kids efforts to reclaim the fairy godmother's wand to undo the protection magic on the Isle of the Lost. 

Getting their hands on the wand is no easy task since it is locked down in a museum.  The misfits will have to make friends at the boarding school and become acquainted with the offspring of Dopey, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, and the fairy godmother.  Sadly many of the friendships are one sided as the descendants are using their social engineering skills and magic to get what they want.  

They're not all bad once they step away from their parent's shadows though.  I like how this movie teaches about forgiveness and redemption.  Each of the descendants learns to accomplish things on their own and they become well aware of good and evil and its consequences.  Some of the treatment the descendants get is well deserved, but not all of it is.

Thank you Rogers and Cowan for sending us this DVD to review!

Skepticism is on the rise and Christianity has been under attack from scientists, scholars, and archaeologists.  Many consider the Bible to be nothing more than a history book or just a bunch of fairy tales.  For more than fifty years, many prominent archaeologists believe that there is no solid evidence for the events in Exodus taking place as the Bible claims.  This view is so widespread that prominent rabbis like David Wolpe consider the book of Exodus to be "historical fiction."

If the book of Exodus is myth then the rest of the Bible loses its credibility and purpose.  Director Timothy Mahoney sets out to validate or disprove the Bible's account of Exodus in a twelve year archaeological journey to Egypt and around the world. Throughout this documentary (narrated by Kevin Sorbo) there are interviews with prominent Egyptologists, historians, archaeologists, authors, and even the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Shimon Peres, the president of Israel.

What Tim discovers is that many people assume the Biblical Exodus took place during the New Kingdom era of Rameses II.  There is no evidence of a famine, infanticide, or vacating and destruction of Biblical cites in that time period.  However, if you examine the previous era, the Middle Kingdom, there is evidence that matches up perfectly with the Bible time frame and historical accounts.  The problem with these findings is that it would mean that all of the dating to this point would be inaccurate and this is a tough pill to swallow for  Egyptologists, historians, and archaeologists.  

Thank you Click Communications for sending us this Blu-Ray to review!

The Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection contains twelve short films that are bound to make you and your family laugh, cry, and stay on the edge of your seat.  Even though my family owns several Disney movies, we have only seen two of the short films beforehand.  The collection includes:

• Frozen Fever - Elsa wants to make up for lost time and throw her sister a birthday party that she'll never forget.  The only problem is that Elsa isn't feeling that well.
• Feast - A dog is enjoying the bachelor life style with his owner and all of the junk food that goes along with it.  Things change when the owner gets a health conscious girlfriend and hilarity ensues.  
• Get a Horse - The classic black and white Disney characters get a 3D CGI-makeover in this silly short.
• Paperman - A couple falls in love at first sight and suddenly get separated - can paper airplanes reunite them?
• Tangled Ever After - Pascal and Maximus lose the rings for Rapunzel and  Flynn Rider's wedding.  They go through a lot of effort and humiliation to retrieve them.
• The Ballad Of Nessie - The origin of Loch Ness is explained in this story about a dragon who was kicked out of her happy pond when a mini golf course took over the region.
• Prep & Landing - Operation: Secret Santa - Christmas is just around the corner and Mrs. Claus needs the help of some tech savvy elves to put together a gift for Santa.
• Tick Tock Tale - Clocks can live an exciting life too, especially when the owner of a clock shop leaves for the day.
• How To Hook Up Your Home Theater - Goofy just wants to watch a football game on a good sized television in the comfort of his own home.  Little does he know how complicated setting up a home theater can be!
• The Little Match Girl - In the dead of winter a poor girl is trying to sustain herself by selling matches.  Unfortunately nobody seems to be interested in buying them or helping her stay warm.  Perhaps her matches can comfort her?  
• Lorenzo - A gluttonous cat enjoys eating in front of starving cats starting at him from his window.  As a tail-less cat walks by, Lorenzo makes fun of it.  He is then cursed with a tail that has a mind of its own that likes to dance the Tango.  
• John Henry - Recently freed slaves are promised land for helping construct rail road tracks. The deadline is quickly looming and they may lose this opportunity.  The legendary John Henry with his super strength gives it his all to  help secure better lives for his family and friends. 

Thank you Sunshine Sachs for sending us a DVD screener of this film!

Thanks to his girlfriend of five years, Damon Gameau has been eating a healthy diet with very little sugar in it. With a baby on the way he wants to see firsthand what impact seemingly healthy foods would have on his trim body. His goal is to eat the national average of forty-four teaspoons of sugar a day for two months and to record the negative changes his body goes through as a result. Instead of indulging on known sugary food like candy and ice cream, his new diet will include food with hidden forms of sugars in food such such as yogurt, granola, and fruit juices. 

To document his journey, Damon enlists the help of several doctors and a nutritionalist. While they monitor his calorie intake and the deterioration of his liver, Damon still exercises as he did before this experiment. Not surprisingly Damon started to develop fatty liver disease, mood swings, and loss of energy throughout this documentary. His abdomen and rear end grew in size as well.

That Sugar Film is not just about Damon - he travels across Australia and to the United states to interview Aborigines and other people impacted by sugary sodas like Mountain Dew. Soda addiction has put many Aborigines in the grave or on dialysis and there was a seventeen year old in the US with such badly rotten teeth that he needed to have them pulled and get dentures. The dental procedure is a little graphic and there are some images of naked Aborigines. 

Other than those scenes, there are some light hearted skits and silly songs featuring famous actors like Stephen Fry and Hugh Jackman. Most of the film is as serious as the issue at hand. People have to learn to read the labels on all of their food items; many foods look innocent, but contain the daily suggested amount of sugar by themselves! After seeing That Sugar Film and Fed Up, our family has been paying closer attention to how much sugar is in the food we are eating and have eliminated sugary cereals from our pantry. Thankfully we have never been big soda drinkers, but we have been fooled by seemingly healthy food. I highly recommend watching this movie, and if you don't please pay more attention to the amount of sugar (in all of its forms) in the foods you are eating.

Thank you Falco Ink for sending us this blu-ray to review!

Brother's Keeper tells the compelling story of identical twins, Andy and Pete Goodwyn who tragically lost their parents at a young age.  As a result, they rely on each other and go in completely opposite directions with their lives.  With their high school graduation drawing near, Pete is planning for his future by making arrangements to marry his girlfriend and attending a seminary to become a preacher.  His brother on the other hand, has no plans other than picking fights with those that look at him the wrong way.  

Both of their lives are forever changed when Pete is framed for a murder that he did not commit.  To complicate matters further, the town's police and witnesses are bribed to pursue the death penalty for Pete.  As a devout Christian, Pete's faith is greatly challenged as his situation is getting more and more dire.

Though he doesn't notice it right away, Pete does make a positive impact on the people he interacts with in prison.  Not to mention the transformation that his brother, Andy goes through.  Pete does have his dark moments and a fellow believing inmate (played by Travis Tritt), offers him some solid and Biblical advice.  

Thank you Falco Ink for sending us this DVD to review!

Any Day is the story of a boxer named Vian (Sean Bean), who was recently released from prison after serving twelve years for killing a man with his bare hands.  Now that he is free, he must find a place to live and a job to get back on his feet.  His sister, who is a single mom, lets him stay in her garage for a couple of weeks as long as he stays sober.  Her son Jimmy bonds with Vian instantly and appreciates his staying there since he does not have any friends or a father to talk to.

Finding work is difficult for Vian since most places don't want to hire an ex-convict.   Vian does eventually find work at a pizzeria that many school kids hang out at. His boss (Tom Arnold) is a recovering alcoholic that instantly trusts Vian enough to offer him a partnership opportunity if he can come up with $15,000.  

Since Vian doesn't have $15,000, a house, or a car of his own, the partnership opportunity seems unlikely unless a miracle happens.  God is brought up several times and it seems that everyone is a Christian with the exception of Vian.  Even though God is clearly at work in his life, Vian doesn't acknowledge his handiwork.  

Thank you Sunshine Sachs for sending us a screener of this movie to review!

Call Me Lucky is a film directed by Bobcat Goldthwait who was inspired by Barry Crimmins in many ways.  Barry used to go by the nickname "Bear Cat" to which Bobcat Goldthwait followed suit.  Besides helping Bobcat stay sober, Barry has helped launch many successful comedians in his Boston area comedy clubs.  Some of the comedians he worked with include Kevin Meany, Steven Wright, Dennis Leary, Steve Sweeney,  Paula Poundstone, Jimmy Tingle and many more. 

Barry was known for being a political satirist in the '70s and '80s and he didn't hold back in bashing our government and the Catholic church.  Since the pope has joined twitter, Barry has tweeted him daily asking to be excommunicated.  Barry holds an understandable grudge against the church because he was abused by both a family friend and by a priest as a young boy.

While Barry vented on stage and cursed often, he had a gentler side that helped give a voice to those who needed to be heard.  He visited wounded children in Nicaragua during Reagan's term and he helped the government and AOL toughen their policies and prosecute pedophiles when the interest was in its infancy stages.  Thanks to his efforts  thousands of pedophiles have been arrested.

Thank you Click Communications for sending us a DVD to review!

After a wonderful summer together, Brady and Mack (Mackenzie) are heading back to school together.  Even though they're celebrating their three month "meetaversary", their relationship is about to be seriously tested as they discover that they are complete opposites when it comes to their academic studies.    

Mack has her future planned out with wanting to become a marine biologist.  She already knows which college she wants to go to while Brady doesn't even know what he's going to have for dinner at night.  Even though biology isn't Brady's strongest subject, he's not stupid.  In fact, he's designing many great surfboards.  The problem is that he's lost his confidence and doesn't want to share his passion with his girlfriend for fear of being rejected.  

Other guys are taking notice of Mackenzie and Brady is getting jealous of the attention she is getting.  Between the jealousy and the secrets, Mack is wanting some time away from Brady.  Back in Brady's favorite '60s movie, Wet Side Story (a surfers versus bikers rendition of West Side Story), the main characters Lela and Tanner are sensing some trouble between Mack and Brady and come to the future (our present day) to save them. 

Thank you Entertainment One for sending us a screener of this movie to review!

An over protective nestrian father  is on the move again after his son, Finny, had just settled in and started making friends.   Finny isn't happy about the change, but this time it can't be avoided since the global flood is coming and they have to head towards the ark.  Once they arrive at the ark, the nestrians run into a setback as they are not on Noah's list of animals to bring along.  Perhaps it has something to do with their fictitious species?   Another unique species called grimps, did make the cut though.  The father and son disguise themselves as grimps and stow away on the ark.  The female grimp isn't happy about the nestrians becoming a part of their fictitious family.  

Finny and the young grimp, Leah, get along for the most part and start exploring around the ark.  Panic sets in when they discover that they were not actually on the ark when it has taken off without them.  After a while, the parents notice and try to convince the lion captain to turn the ark around.  Their request is denied and they decide to take matters into their own hands.

Meanwhile, Leah and Finny are trying to find high ground and avoid becoming dinner for a couple of flying creatures that are pursuing them.  Along the way, they meet some other stragglers that didn't make it onto the ark either.  Despite the grimp's nature of being a loner, Leah learns the value of friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness.   

Thank you Universal Pictures for sending us this DVD to review!

Curious George is back and up to his usual unintended trouble making.  The story begins with George and Ted (the man in the yellow hat) flying a kite in a park.  For most people the worst case scenario is losing the kite to a tree, but for George it's a very expensive excursion with many food vendors  getting their carts knocked over and losing any chance of  turning  a profit.  The man in the yellow hat hands out yellow contact cards with his insurance information to those impacted by George's kite flying.  It makes me wonder what his insurance premiums are.  

Later George and his owner head back to the museum where Ted works and they are greeted by Mr. Houston.   There is an opening for an astronaut to go on a mission to alleviate the massive flooding in Africa.    George is eager to go, but the man in the yellow hat isn't sold on the idea right away.  Fortunately for George, he relents and lets him go on the mission.

Sadly, the mission doesn't go as planned and George gets lost in Africa.  Houston and his team estimate George's location within a 500 mile radius.  Not surprisingly, most of the movie revolves around locating George.   Even though George starts off alone, it's short lived as he befriends many unlikely wild animals.  

Thank you Falco Ink for sending us this DVD to review!

Not everyone grows up with a perfect family.  Many kids are raised by a single parent, and in most cases it's the mother.  It was the opposite for me as I grew up fast when my mother ran off when I was a teenager.  Comeback Dad struck a chord with me as I chose to forgive and reconcile with my mom. I was curious if the daughter, Nina, would do the same for her absentee father (Charles Dutton) in this movie.  

I won't spoil the ending in this review.  Nina is an up and coming composer who learned from her father on how to play the piano.  Her successful fiancé, Spence, loves her despite knowing that she can't trust him fully due to her broken relationship with her father.  Spence encourages her to make amends before their wedding and that includes an out of state trip to meet her estranged family. 

Unfortunately, this movie reinforces the false teachings of works to earn a person's way to heaven.    Nina mentions getting double heaven points for making the trip to see her family.    The Bible clearly teaches in Ephesians 2:8 and in Romans 9:16 that it is by God's grace alone that we are saved, not by our works.

Thank you Click Communications for sending us this DVD to review!

Strange Magic is a CGI animated musical that borrows from Shakepeare's "A Midsummer’s Night Dream" and Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's "Beauty and the Beast." After seeing George Lucas's attempt at romance in Star Wars II Attack of the Clones, I wasn't expecting much.  I began watching this movie with three of my kids and one of them left half way through to read a book instead. Of the two that remained to the end, only one liked the movie.   My son wasn't a fan of it.  Then again, George Lucas was inspired by his daughters to make Strange Magic.

The movie begins with a fairy princess, Mary Ann, preparing for her wedding day.  Along the way of her collecting materials for her fiancé's boutonnière, she runs into her husband-to-be kissing another fairy.  Not surprisingly, the wedding was called off and her father, the king, wants Mary Anne  to make amends with her ex, Roland.   Instead Mary Anne vows to be independent and swears off love entirely.  

Mary Anne is not the only one uninterested in love.  In the nearby Dark Kingdom, the wretched insectiod King Bog has forbidden anyone to fall in love and use of love potions is forbidden.  To ensure that his ban remains in effect, he sealed away the sugar plum fairy who is the only one that can concoct love potions.