Summit Entertainment Responds to Rachelle LeFevre's Departure

Twitter has been lighting up over the last couple days about Rachelle LeFevre's (Victoria) announced replacement for Eclipse, the third installment of the Twilight Saga. She has been replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard. Her statement made it seem as though she was shocked and hurt by the decision, but I found this statement from Summit, which makes it seem as though she dug her own grave, so to speak. I didn't really care either way. She is not one of the MAIN MAIN people and it was no skin off my back. But I thought I'd share this for those whose lives are seemingly ruined by this news, lol.

"July 29th, 2009


We at Summit Entertainment are disappointed by Rachelle Lefevre’s recent comments which attempt to make her career choices the fault of the Studio. Her decision to discuss her version of the scheduling challenges publicly has forced the Studio to set the record straight and correct the facts.
Ms. Lefevre's representatives were advised as early as April that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE was expected to start shooting in early August.

If Ms. Lefevre was, as she describes “passionate,” about being part of THE TWILIGHT SAGA, we feel that she and her representatives would have included us in her decision to work on another film that would conflict with the shooting schedule of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE.

It was not until July 20th that Summit was first informed of Ms. Lefevre’s commitment to BARNEY’S VERSION, a commitment we have since been advised she accepted in early June. Summit had acted in good faith that she would be available to fulfill her obligations both in terms of rehearsals and shooting availability for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. We feel that her choice to withhold her scheduling conflict information from us can be viewed as a lack of cooperative spirit which affected the entire production.

Furthermore Ms. Lefevre took a role in the other film that places her in Europe during the required rehearsal time, and at least ten days of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE’s principal photography. This period is essential for both rehearsal time with the cast, and for filming at key locations that are only available during the initial part of production.
Contrary to Ms. Lefevre’s statement, it is simply untrue that the Studio dismissed her over a ten day overlap. It is not about a ten day overlap, but instead about the fact that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE is an ensemble production that has to accommodate the schedules of numerous actors while respecting the established creative vision of the filmmaker and most importantly the story.

The fact remains that Ms. Lefevre’s commitment to the other project - which she chose to withhold from Summit until the last possible moment - makes her unfortunately unavailable to perform the role of Victoria in THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE.

--Summit Entertainment"

Veggie Tales: Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella DVD Review

My daughter has long been a fan of Veggie Tales- therefore, I'm a fan. (Plus I can't get the silly songs out of my head- they are so catchy!) For those unfamiliar with Veggie Tales, it is about a tomato named Bob, a cucumber named Larry and their vegetable friends who put on performances to teach children lessons and moral values. Most have Bible references and stories based off Bible scripture, but kids don't notice. They only care that it's fun and entertaining.

Minnesota Cuke has been a favorite character that Larry plays that is a take off Indiana Jones. In this adventure, Minnesota is on a search for Noah's Ark. He finds out about Noah's umbrella and wants to procure the artifact for his museum, but an evil villain wants it as well and Minnesota must thwart the no good bad guy and continue on his quest, despite his worries that he will fail. This film is supposed to teach a lesson in confidence. It also includes an all new silly song called "Sippy Cup."

Veggie Tales can do no wrong in my book. My daughter liked it, my son liked it and I thought it was cute! A must have! If you've never seen Veggie Tales, you should definitely check one out! Here is the trailer.

Family Time Factor: Probably most enjoyed by children 10 and under.

MOTR Grade: A

Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella releases on DVD August 4th!!!

Dollhouse Season One DVD Review

Are you a fan of Eliza Dushku? ME TOO! How about Joss Whedon? Me too? LOL. Joss was responsible for bringing the world the tv series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I might have caught an episode or two, but was not a diehard fan (mostly because when it was on tv, I was the lowest child on the totem pole, so at my house, I never got to watch what I wanted.)

From Eliza and Joss' creative minds comes Dollhouse. The premise is this underground society/business of dolls. Dolls are people that have voluntarily entered into contracts for something like 5 or 10 years. Their minds are wiped cleaned and their memories stored on these disks to be restored when their contracts expire. In the meantime, they are programmed to meet the buyer's need at the moment. One week they might be playing a domestic partner, another week they might be hired assassins and then the next week, they could be leading someone on a hiking expedition.

Each week follows "Echo" (Eliza's character) on her different missions. She has a handler who protects her for those times when something bad happens (and believe me, they do!) Her real name is Caroline, and throughout the season we get more and more glimpses into her past and why she chose to become a doll. There is an FBI agent who is very much interested in finding this urban legend that is the dollhouse. He figures out that Caroline is one of the dolls and wants to save her. This makes things quite difficult for those that run the dollhouse. Also, we find out about Alpha, who was a doll that went bad and tried to kill everyone... is he in "the attic" never to be seen again or has he escaped and is on the loose?

I love this show! This is one that my husband and I watch together every week. I'm bummed to hear that Fox almost didn't renew it for a second season, but they did, with the caveat that there must be major budget cuts. I shall have to give Fox a piece of my mind, the next time anyone there cares to hear me out (which will be never). Anyway, it's definitely worth the watch!

Family Time Factor: Not something young children could enjoy, but nothing that you can't watch with your older children- although some of the plots might be over their heads.

MOTR Grade: A-

Dollhouse: Season One is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray!!!

A Glove of Their Own Giveaway Winners!!!

Sorry for the late announcement- my brain stalled out on me, lol.

The winners for the giveaway for A Glove of Their Own book were:

Courtney
MJ
janetfaye
momforeverandever

Congratulations to them and thanks to all that entered! I should be having some more giveaways coming up very soon!

Wordless Wednesday: Adventures in Babysitting

Sleep Happens

So the other day I was curious about how many hours that your child should be sleeping per day, how many naps per age, etc. My daughter is 3 and a half and normally doesn't take naps. My son is 18 months and will take one nap during the day and if I'm lucky it will be 2 hours, but sometimes it's as little as 30 minutes. So, I found this helpful chart. Not all children are the same, so it's not a written in stone type deal.

Anyway, what I don't get is how no matter what time your kids go to bed at night, they wake up at roughly the same time in the morning. For instance, being an old lady, I tend to like to go to bed at 8:30pm. LOL. I take the kids in with me while I wind down watching General Hospital. I'm usually asleep before 10pm. Now, the kids usually fall asleep within half an hour, and then wake up in the morning anywhere from 7am-9am. L sleeps later than A typically. I love it when I wake up on my own before them.

But last night, for example, we were visiting a relative and Nick kept us out until a whopping 10pm and I was about to pass out! So, we get home, get the kids right to bed and they fall asleep within TEN MINUTES! I had a harder time winding down and didn't fall asleep until close to midnight. So, when Nick's alarm woke up at 6am and woke me up, I had a hard time going back to sleep and I am SO TIRED. But, the kids still got up at the same time as usual.

What's the deal? If I had the option of sleeping as long as I wanted, you can bet I'd be living that up! I always figured 9 hours was my perfect number for sanity sake, but since having kids, I'm lucky to get a good 6. Plus I'm a very light sleeper and wake up multiple times at night.

I'm gonna wrap this up, cause it's getting long, but this is kinda me pondering aloud about sleep. Are my kids getting enough? Why do they insist on waking up before they're ready? Will I ever get those 9 hours I long for? Is Claudia going to lose the baby on General Hospital?

Crackle.com Brings You Mom XXX

(Might not be suitable for the easily offended or overly sensitive!) Are you tired of cookie cutter family shows that portray life as more like the Brady Bunch than it actually is?

How about trying this on for size?! Sony TV's web-series is about Demi, mom and porn star. Each week she struggles and learns as her children get older and she deals with raising them while having a not so normal career. You can check it out on Crackle!

From Crackle: Female Parts

Wordless Wednesday: Bugg Puppy Edition

Dear Conan O'Brien

As a loyal fan of your show for many years, I feel that it is not only my right, but my duty to INSIST that you bring back two of my favorite skits and have them be staples on the Tonight Show. (And when I say INSIST, that could imply that if you refuse, you might find a severed horse head in your bed one night... just saying.)

Both characters are played by the genius that is Brian Stack! Hilarity incarnate, Brian's two beloved characters that must return are The Interrupter and Artie Kendall, the lounge singing ghost. Each time I see these skits, my heart goes pitter pat as anyone who knows me knows that I get weak in the knees over guy's that make me laugh. (Except for you, Conan, because you are so obviously taken and no offense, but I like guys with a little more meat on their bones.)

In summation, I will not beg, I will not plead, I will merely "suggest" (perhaps violently) that you revive these Late Night characters on The Tonight Show as I miss them more than a fat kid misses the ability to walk up stairs without getting winded.

Much love,

hamsterkitten

Woodstock.com

If you are nostalgic for Woodstock, it is your lucky day!!! A new site has just been launched for all things Woodstock! It is the 40th anniversary of the historical event and this site will help remind you what you loved so much about it.

In correlation with the website launch is the June 30th release of the Woodstock Experience CDs. These newly-designed eco-friendly 2CD packages are from artists such as Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Santana, Sly & the Family Stone and Johnny Winter. These CDs contain mini-LP sleeves with inner paper sleeves, inside slipcase jacket, plus two-sided 16x20-inch fold-out poster.

Check out the website trailer for more details and information!

Super Why! Jack & The Beanstalk and Other Fairytale Adventures DVD Review

Being unfamiliar with most programming on PBS (not even sure if I get it) I wasn't sure what to expect from this cartoon and had never heard of it. I am so glad that I gave it a try!

Super Why! is a critically acclaimed preschool series that takes kids through a story while teaching them phonics, the alphabet and other lessons in a fun way. Picture Dora, but even more educational and a smidge less annoying.

This particular DVD has four different fairy tales (Jack and the Beanstalk, Three Little Pigs, Princess and the Pea and Little Red Riding Hood). It puts a spin on each tale and has the little lessons throughout, such as teaching rhyming words, having your children pick which word best suits a sentence, the alphabet and more.

Both my kids LOVED this DVD! My son is 18 months and my daughter is three and a half. She loved the stories and the learning exercises and he apparently thought the graphics were interesting. They have watched it many times so far and just adore it!- which makes me love it! I appreciate its learning value and anything that can teach my kids while entertaining them is A okay in my book! My only complaint is that it doesn't have a "play all" option and you have to keep starting the next episode as it goes back to the main menu.

Family Time Factor: More of something to have your young children watch while you are doing other things, but it is definitely for preschool age or kindergarten age and younger.

MOTR Grade: A

Super Why! Jack & The Beanstalk and Other Fairytale Adventures is available on DVD July 28!!!

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Season 1.1 DVD Review

If you were a child of the 80's like I was, you have to remember the original G.I. Joe series! Remember the action figures? Do you remember bribing your brother to play Barbies by telling him you'd play G.I. Joes in return? No? Just me?

Well, now you can relive your childhood and pass it on to your own children because G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is now available on DVD! They are starting at the beginning and the first release is Season 1.1 which includes the first 22 episodes. I'll admit that I was not a real fan as a child because I was a girl and it was too manly for me. But my husband loved it and apparently he was stoked because Sgt. Slaughter (of WWF/WWE fame) was a character.

Watching it now, it brings back memories of a lighter time in life and it's fun to reminisce. In terms of content and enjoyment, it's still great, but I definitely feel that it is still going to be more greatly appreciated by boys as girls are more into princesses and that type of stuff, but you might be able to get them to sit through it.

Family Time Factor: Great for nostalgia purposes as a whole family, otherwise more appropriate for boys ages 2-12.

MOTR Grade: B+

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Season 1.1 is available on DVD July 21!!!

Follow Friday: @Crafty_mama

One thing I love about Twitter is finding people that make great friends. You can never have enough friends in life and having some online is a great support system in addition to your real life friends.

Crafty_mama is one such person. Real name, Rebecca, she has been there many a time on Twitter when I needed someone to complain to (mostly about what heathens my kids are being for the day.) She also writes an awesome blog and is a very open and honest person.

If you're looking for a genuine person to follow on Twitter this #followfriday, you can do no wrong in someone like Crafty_mama!

My Thoughts On: Southern Belles: Louisville

(from left: Julie, Shea, Emily, Kellie, Hadley)

Not sure how many people are familiar with this show. It airs Thursday night on Soapnet. (I'm sure you are all avid Soapnet watchers, lol.) Anyway, the season finale is next week and I have a few thoughts on some of these girls.

Hadley: The only character that I truly like. She's cute, funny and easy to relate to. She is a 9-5 type girl who hopes to get a career she's proud of, while trying to figure out the relationship situation in her life. Russell, her BFF that she is now dating is kind of a scumbag, but she can't decide if he's the man for her or not (I say he's NOT.)

Kellie: Twice divorced, all she talks about is how much she wants a child of her own. BUT, GET THIS- she's dating (and maybe movie to Chicago with) some guy who has made it SO CLEAR he does not want more children. And her response, "maybe he'll change his mind." WHAT?! If your dream in life is to have kids, DO NOT commit to a guy who says up front that he does not. Especially if he knows that is your one goal in life.

Shea: My least favorite of the bunch, she is a spoiled rich daddy's girl. This poor guy Jeff is unfortunately the man who thinks he wants to marry her. First, she tells him she will only take a ring that costs like 200,000 dollars. (Clue one to hit the road and never look back- if a girl is telling you she will only accept a ring that expensive, she doesn't deserve one.) She's clingy, pushy, bossy and a prude. I have yet to see what good things she brings to anyone's lives. The last episode she has told her fiance that they are buying a condo and he has his heart set on a house. I think since he will be the breadwinner and she's gonna make his life hell, he should get to pick a house. I can't stand this chick.

Julie: Not much to say about Julie. She's a model, but isn't real exciting. She's desperate for love, marriage and a family, but is not having much luck.

Emily: Oh my gosh... the hair... the makeup. Her hair is SO FRIED. All I can do is stare. And her clothes and makeup are so garish as well. It's horrifying. Other than complaining and whining a lot, there's not much to her either. She wants to be a big tv host and is contemplating moving for good to Las Vegas to take a full time job on a web tv station. But the hair... the makeup... aaaaaaaah!

Anyway, this show is a guilty pleasure of mine (among the hundreds) and I thought I'd put my two cents in on what I thought about it... cause... like I have room to judge, lol. Anyone else watch this show?

Momfinitions!

Moms (and parents in general) tend to have a language of their own when it comes to raising kids. Inspired by ParentsConnect, here are five "momfinitions" that I believe pertain to the highs and lows that are involved in the wonderful world of parenting!

Goopies [goo-pees]noun: the icky little green things that show up in the corner of your eyes. Hold still, you have eye goopies.

Cranktastic [krank-ta-stik] adjective: the way my daughter gets when she hasn't had a nap and starts to cry or get irritable for no reason whatsoever. Your cranktastic attitude is telling me that it's gonna be an early bedtime tonight!

Pooplosion [poo-plo-shun] noun: when your child's poop fills up the diaper and their back... and their clothes... and the floor... Time to start another load of laundry, we've just had a pooplosion!

pacitastrophe [pass-e-tas-tro-fee] noun: The panicky moment of horror when your infant/toddler is screaming and you realize there is no pacifier in the diaperbag or the vicinity. Usually occurs in public places or in the car. I'm sorry, I have to excuse myself and drive to the nearest WalMart because we are having a major pacitastrophe!

Law of Two [la- uv- too] noun: The law in life that says if you have two children that they can't be good at the same time. One always has to be crying, mad or throwing a fit of some sort. Those rare moments when they are both being good are when you break out the camera in order to show people that your kids just defied nature! (on the phone) Oh, she's crying because her brother is not- it's the law of two!

I would love to hear your reaction to my momfinitions! Do you know what I'm talking about? Do you have any momfinitions of your own? If you found mine interesting, you should definitely check out the ones at ParentsConnect!

Leverage 1st Season DVD Review

TNT is known for drama. And over the past couple years they have been churning out some original series that become instant hits that get great critical acclaim. Leverage is one of those series.

Leverage is about a group of people who have come together to take on the injustices of corporate America and those that wrong the little people. They are all criminals for various reasons who have now become vigilante thief do-gooders. Timothy Hutton plays the mastermind of the group, Nate Ford who was formerly an insurance investigator. His reason for wanting this group was because his insurance company let his son die and he wanted to get even. Each of the members of the group has their own pivotal role in pulling off each mission.

I found the premise of the show to be very interesting. We all have been wronged at some point in our lives and felt helpless. This group seeks to prevent that helpless feeling and show corporations and jerky people that it is not okay to treat anyone the way that these places treat individuals. The cast does a great job and I thoroughly enjoyed the show!

The new season of Leverage premieres tomorrow on TNT!

Family Time Factor: Can be watched as a family, although wouldn't appeal to young children. It definitely teaches some of the harsh realities of the world.

MOTR Grade: B

Leverage the first season is available today on DVD!!!

Van Wilder Freshmen Year DVD Review

If you're familiar with the first Van Wilder, starring Ryan Reynolds, you might have thought to yourself, "did he just enter college and immediately become this almighty party animal?" Well, your curiosity has paid off! Van Wilder Freshmen Year is a prequel that tells the story about those seven years of college that we did not know about in the original movie.

From parties to harassing girls to taunting teachers, Van Wilder becomes a legend at Coolidge College.

Call me an old fuddy duddy, but raunch doesn't really appeal to me so much. Don't get me wrong, there were bits and pieces that made me laugh, but for the most part I felt like some old lady sitting around watching a bunch of hooligans commit crimes. I'll take an episode of the Golden Girls over this movie any day!

Family Time Factor: Not appropriate to watch as a family. It's unrated and not something you should let your kids watch.

MOTR Grade: C-

Van Wilder Freshmen Year is available today exclusively on DVD and stars Jonathan Bennett and Kristin Cavallari!!!

Our First Real Boo Boo

So yesterday we encountered our first "major" boo boo with one of our children. Pretty good, I'd say, considering my oldest is three and a half. Well, she has gotten kind of wild as of late. In the past couple days, she's given me two bruises on my leg from jumping on me, kicked me in the mouth accidentally while playing and then yesterday was the worst.

Being the older sister, she often uses her brute strength to get her way. We have often said that she is going to be sorry when her brother gets bigger than she is cause payback is gonna be hard! Right now he's only 5 lbs. less than her, but is 2 years younger...

Anyway, they were running in the house despite our objections and she would throw a ball and they would both chase it, but she would knock him out of the way before he could get to it. Well, on the third attempt, she knocked him down and he smacked his face on the table leg. Immediately blood started running down his face! I jumped up and grabbed him and yelled for Nick to get some paper towels. It was small laceration, but seemed pretty deep. I called my in-laws to come tell us if they thought it needed stitches. (They live two doors down.) After the blood was cleanded up, it was decided that butterfly bandaids might do the trick- so far so good! But it's our first brush with any kind of big owie. Hopefully there are no stitches or broken bones in their future.

Just thought I'd share!

Megan Hauserman is back!!!

Okay, so I know a lot of people don't get my fascination with this woman, but I was soooooooo excited when I saw the commercial on VH1 that I literally got up and started dancing! Megan Hauserman of Rock of Love, I Love Money and Charm School notoriety is back with her own reality show! I called it, I wanted it, I'm stoked about it! It's called "Megan Wants a Millionaire" and premieres on VH1 August 2. And she's also bringing good ole' Brandi C. along for the ride!

The premise of the show is that like 17 millionaires compete for Megan's love. When casting for the show, it was required that the men have a net worth of at least one million. I'm not 100%, but I believe "Sex Toy Dave" (of Millionaire Matchmaker notoriety) is one of the cast members. I was not a big fan of him because he was too shallow for my taste.

And speaking of shallow, back to why I like Megan so much! She's conniving, she's vicious, but you can tell she's smart. She knows what she's doing and just like women have been doing for centuries, she knows that using her body and her good looks will get her pretty much anything she wants. She's fun to watch and she's my guilty pleasure.

I know a lot of people hate her and I know that she did Sharon Osbourne wrong by insulting her husband on the reunion show, but I do believe she was tipsy (I could be remembering it wrong) and clearly she doesn't have good taste in music cause Ozzy is fabulous! But, I've been friends with people who aren't friends with my other friends. It's all good.

So, this was me sharing a bit of guilty pleasure excitement that VH1 has fulfilled my fantasy of giving Megan her own reality show! And if you're following Daisy of Love (she is hideous, btw, I can't quit staring at her fake hair) I am hoping that 20Pack wins cause he is yummy!

Power Rangers RPM: Start Your Engines DVD Review

If you're unfamiliar with the Power Rangers, they're a group of crime fighting teenagers with different colored suits on. Each has come from a different background, but has become a power ranger for different reasons. They have their own abilities and their own personalities that make them unique.

In Start Your Engines, an evil computer network called Venjix has let out a horrendous virus with the ulterior motive of taking over the planet (what else?) The Power Rangers form and must band together in the hope of all hopes that perhaps they can save the world from imminent doom.

Personally, I am not a fan of the Power Rangers. I never understood the hype. If you take it at face value and consider the age group that it is supposed to entertain, I suppose that it is good, clean fun and it's just another group of heroes out to save the world- is that a bad thing?

Family Time Factor: Definitely something that is geared towards (probably boys) ages like 7-12. Not really something that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

MOTR Grade: C-

Power Rangers RPM: Start Your Engines is now available on DVD!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Pudding Anyone? Edition

A Glove of Their Own Book Review & Giveaway- GREAT CAUSE!!!

A Glove of Their Own is a children's book, that goes far beyond the pages of the book itself. The story is timeless and tells about one of those neighborhood ballgames where the bases are made of sticks and what few gloves are had get shared between players. And then there's the man who comes in with a special gift for the children that reminds them about the importance of giving and having compassion in your heart for those in need.

A Glove of Their Own is also a movement. So many youth out there are underprivileged and don't enjoy city organizations like Little League or Pee Wee League. We encourage these youths to stay off the streets, become educated and enjoy clean fun, but they need help to do so. By showing these children that people care, it inspires them to do good with their life and in turn, pay forward the goodness that was bestowed on them.

There are many organizations right now currently raising money, working with athletes (athlebrities) and companies to help gain funds for sports programs or equipment in areas where it is not available. I urge you to donate or get behind these programs as they are FANTASTIC and as a parent, it is important for me to back things that keep kids doing what kids SHOULD be doing without having to worry about adult issues like the economy and hardships.

Visit A Glove of Their Own's website or email them at agototellus@aol.com for more information!

A special thanks to Bob Salomon, Lisa Funari-Willever and Franklin Mason Press for the opportunity to host this giveaway!

A Glove Of Their Own was written by Debbie Moldovan, Keri Conkling and Lisa Funari-Willever and was illustrated by Lauren Lambiase.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

I have FOUR copies of this book available for giveaway!!! They are first editions and signed by co-author Lisa Funari-Willever! It is open to US Residents only and ends August 22 at noon.

To enter:

1) Tell me about something generous that you have done for someone else or something that someone has done for you.

2) Tweet, digg, stumble or post a link to this giveaway somewhere and comment below.

3) Follow my blog.

What in the world, Immune System?!

So it's summer... and I have a "cold." I put it in quotations because I actually think it's a sinus infection, but have lost my little badge that says MD, so I can't say for sure.

But it's ridiculous! Who gets this in the summer? I must have one of the worst immune systems, because I catch EVERYTHING. If my kids have it, I'll get it. If my husband brings it home, I get it. (That sounded bad, but I'm not referring to STDs.) So, my kids seemed to have a bit of the sniffles a couple weeks ago and sure enough, I got it. But then it turned into a full blown infection! I tried taking Nyquil one evening and it knocked me out and rendered me useless for TWO DAYS. I can't take antihistamines for the same reason.

Then there's the sweating. It was actually quite mild weather-wise this past week, but I had the air conditioning on full blast while my family was bundled up under blankets. And I was STILL sweating! Thankfully my husband allowed me to nap frequently, but I've been going to bed around 8pm and sleeping all night, yet it still lingers.

I'm sure you're saying, "go to the doctor!" Don't try to reason with me!

Anyway, now that I've ranted about this and sufficiently grossed people out, I just wanted to conclude by saying my main reason for posting this was to let you know why I haven't been blogging a lot lately and why I might be slacking a bit in the days to come. Otherwise, things are going great despite the fact that I have NO BABYSITTERS and NO DAYCARE for the month of July... how will I cope?!

12 Rounds Blu-Ray Review

Did you like Die Hard With a Vengeance? Me too! Do you like John Cena from the WWE? Me neither. But he is a likeable fellow. If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, you'll probably like 12 Rounds.

The premise is that Danny (John Cena) and his partner happen upon a hardcore criminal who has just foiled the FBI. In pursuit, Danny almost has the upper hand and the bad dude (Miles) and his girlfriend take off running. Unfortunately the girlfriend is pulverized by a truck when she runs out into an alley. Miles is devastated and is arrested. He vows to make Danny pay even though it wasn't really Danny's fault. But apparently you can reason with the criminally insane.

If you think that they would lock this guy up in some hugely guarded maximum security prison, you would be mistaken. Miles breaks out and comes after what Danny loves most- his girlfriend Molly, his house, his partner, you name it. Miles kidnaps Molly and tells Danny that if he wants to save her, he must complete twelve rounds of trials that will put Danny to the ultimate test of mind play and physical endurance.

I was actually impressed with this movie. As aforementioned, I'm not a big fan of John Cena, but he's not a terrible actor and has a lot of charisma. It was fun to watch despite the poor acting by some of the supporting cast and the sheer unrealistic aspect of most of it. And it is definitely worth watching on Blu-Ray if you have a player because there are lots of explosions and high intensity moments that make high definition a must have!

Family Time Factor: It's rated PG-13, but other than an occasional curse word, there wasn't much inappropriate about it. I think it can be watched by any age.

MOTR Grade: B

12 Rounds is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray!!!

Blu-Ray Specs: DTS HD Audio/Dolby Digital/English SDH/Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese Subtitles/Widescreen 2.29:1

Blu-Ray also includes tons of special features including a gag reel, featurettes, commentary, alternate endings and an unrated version of the film. Also includes a digital copy.

Follow Friday: @Milf_Cookie

If you're not on Twitter, shame on you! If I'm not following you on Twitter, shame on me! Hit me up @hamsterkitten and let me know that I should be following you!

My recommendation for today's #followfriday is @Milf_Cookie! Also known as Peta.

Peta is one of my current online BFFs. I look forward to our morning chats on messenger, our evening chats on Twitter, her witty posts on Facebook, you name it, this gal has me hooked!

She's fun, down to earth, smart, attractive (a bonus in friends) and is one of those "special" people that comes from the land down under. I met Peta whilst doing my Twitter RPG (if you don't know what it is, feel free to ask.) We started chatting on messenger and became fast friends! Always there when I need a shoulder to cry on (at least a cyber shoulder anyway) Peta is my rock and I look forward to knowing her for many years to come!

If you're not following @Milf_Cookie, you're missing out on a great friend! You can also check out her blog!

Hilarity!!!

As you know, I love me some Twitter! As you might also know, I love me some Stephen Colbert! Well, from time to time whilst on Twitter I will check out the trending topics and the other day when I saw that Jeff Goldblum was one, I looked at why. Apparently people had stupidly started a rumor that he had died, too. It was the same day that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died. Of course, it was a lie and a moronic one at that, but in true hilarious form, Jeff Goldblum addressed "his death" on the Colbert Report. Enjoy!

The Betrayed DVD Review

Melissa George might not be a household name yet, but if you watch the same things I do, you would recognize her from Grey's Anatomy, 30 Days of Night and Amityville Horror. She's a great actress. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for her costars in The Betrayed.

The premise of this movie is that Jamie (George) awakens after being in a car wreck with her son. She finds herself bruised, battered and lying on the concrete floor of a warehouse. A masked man tells her that the husband she's been married to for six years is actually a killer and that he has stolen 40 million dollars. In order to save herself and her son, she must figure out what her husband has done with the money and return it to the bad guys within about 24 hours. She is shocked to hear that her husband has been living a double life and has a hard time believing it, but must do as she is told as her son's life depends on it.

I wanted to like this movie, but I didn't. The acting was pretty lame and the plot was so thin it was ridiculous. The parts that were supposed to be suspenseful weren't. The only good things I can say is that at least I managed to finish it without wanting to turn it off and the ending was decent. Girl power!

Family Time Factor: More of a date night movie.

MOTR Grade: C-

The Betrayed is now available on DVD!!!

Reno 911!: Complete Sixth Season DVD Review

If you have never seen Reno 911! you are missing out! And I question, do you not have a funny bone? Does humor escape you? Seriously, it's hilarious!

And being a huge fan of improv that I am, I will share this fact with you- a majority of the lines in Reno 911! are improvised and totally unscripted.

The premise is a mockumentary of the show Cops. A group of officers (in Reno, NV) are followed around by a film crew as they deal with drug dealers, prostitutes, domestic disputes and the likes around the slums of Reno. The riff raff that they encounter are hilarious, the officers are hilarious and the situations are totally off the wall! They will meet up at the station for discussions, reprimands and what not, but once they go out on the streets, it's anyone's game what could happen. From trigger happy deputies to short shorts wearing men, this squad has a whole institution full of crazies on the force.

Plus, guest comedians appear from time to time to play a criminal about to be encountered. Season six guests include Patton Oswalt, Craig Robinson, George Lopez and Nick Swardson.

Definitely good for a laugh, if you're not watching Reno 911!, you're missing out on some good times!

Family Time Factor: Not really appropriate for kids under 14.

MOTR Grade: A-

Reno 911! The Complete Sixth Season arrives on DVD July 7!!!