Sesame Street's Abby Cadabby Gift Set

Continuing in my series of movies and shows based on toys for young children, let’s celebrate Sesame Street's Abby Cadabby in Wonderland.

In this fairy tale, Sesame Street's Muppet, fairy Abby Cadabby, falls asleep and follows a Red Rabbit (played by Elmo) down a rabbit hole and into a "Wonderland" where she encounters quirky and whimsical characters including Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (played by Bert and Ernie) and The Cheshire Cat (played by Cookie Monster.)

Abby also attends a silly tea party presided over by a Mad Hatter (played by Grover) who also can be a "sad" hatter or a "glad" hatter with the change of a hat. Will Abby find her missing magic wand and be able to get back to Sesame Street or does the Grouch of Hearts (played by Oscar) have other plans?

Watch the trailer for yourself and see just how adorable this film is:

Fans of Abby Cadabby will want to own this movie. I am  pretty sure they would like to own this beautiful plush doll, too! Abby is so pretty! Pretty in pink. Put a copy of the movie and the plush to together to come up with a great gift set for a young Abby fan.

Is someone you know a fan of Abby?

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Order Sesame Street's Abby Cadabby in Wonderland from Amazon.
Find this beautiful Gund Sesame Street Abby plush toy on Amazon.

Author's Note: Originally published elsewhere in 2008.

Disney Evil Villains Designer Collection Coffee Mugs

Someone has to show some love to Disney's villains and if you are one of those individuals who takes a certain evil delight or maybe even cackles out loud at the thought of Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts, Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent, The Little Mermaid's Ursula, Tangled's Mother Gothel, Snow White's Evil Queen and 101 Dalmatians' Cruella De Vil, then you will love this coffee mug collection from the Disney Store Designer Villains coffee mug collection.

You can buy one mug representing your favorite Disney villain or your favorite Disney movie or you can buy them all and choose a different one each morning when you're dying for your favorite brew...

When I wrote this post, this mug was readily available on Amazon and you can still check availability on that platform by clicking right here. 

The collection, however, is retired now so you will likely have more luck finding it on eBay by clicking right here.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

MORE VILLAINS:

Discover new, used and vintage Disney items in my eBay store.

Meet Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter Franchise.

Discover Disney's Malificent Pop Funko.

Mia Wasikowska is the New Jane Eyre (2011)

Mia Wasikowska is the next Jane Eyre and will appear in the upcoming 2011 version of the movie. In a short video, she spoke briefly about a number of issues related to the movie including what she thinks of Jane Eyre, the costumes for the movie, working with Michael Fassbender (who plays Edward Rochester) and, of course, working with Judi Dench (who plays Mrs. Fairfax.) I will admit that I have great respect for Judi Dench's work and cannot wait to see her in this movie. 

Mia Waskiowska, by the way, was Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland last year and before that, she may be best known for her work on The Kids Are All Right, although she has been involved in numerous other projects. For a full filmography of Mia Wasikowska, visit IMDB.

Anyone else looking forward to the 2011 version of Jane Eyre?

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Order Jane Eyre (2011) from Amazon.

Blu-ray 3D Is Coming To A Home Theatre Near You

Yesterday's post about the Samsung 3D television from my guest blogger, AJ, set me to wondering about Blu-ray 3D so I did a bit of poking around and this is what I found.

To watch Blu-ray 3D at home, you are going to need four main pieces of equipment:

• A television, monitor or projector that will display 3D movies.
• A pair of 3D glasses for each individual who will be watching.
• A 3D Blu-ray player.
• And, 3D Blu-ray movies or discs.

Sony BDP-S5100 3D Blu-ray Disc Player with Wi-Fi (2013 Model)

I think we are all pretty familiar with what 3D is in regard to movies. The movie studios are working hard to make sure we are going to have some content to watch from the comfort of our 3D home theatres. Eventually, we will be able to bring home Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol, How To Train Your Dragon and Clash of the Titans in Blu-ray 3D.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Movies in 3D: The Battle Is On

What do Avatar, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, How To Train Your Dragon and Clash of the Titans have in common?

Why, they are all part of the recent 3D craze.

So, what's the big deal?

Well, the movie theatres are simply not equipped to deal with multiple 3D movies at once.

Which causes a dilemna...which 3D movie to show if you only have one 3D movie screen?

Avatar's run in 3D was shortened in some theatres when Alice in Wonderland in 3D became available.  Now it is time for Alice in Wonderland to move on to make room for the 3D film How To Train Your Dragon, whether or not the theatres are still packed with Alice viewers who have earned the film $215 million US dollars to date, it simply has to go.
Alice, you might say, is causing a traffic jam. 

Clash of the Titans? Yes, that is the next 3D movie in this epic battle or clash that is being played out between movie studios and theatres throughout North America.

Word has it that theatres have been told if they don't show a certain film in 3D, they will not be given the 2D version at all. 

Interesting, isn't it but what does it mean for you and I? More good movies at the movie theatre if you do not mind spending more money on 3D movie tickets and in the near future, 3D televisions.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Link:

Order your copy of Avatar on blu-ray or DVD from Amazon.

Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland Movie Review

Alice in Wonderland. Tim Burton. Johnny Depp. Recipe for the perfect movie? Maybe not. It took a few days for me to think it over but I have finally completed my Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland movie review. 

Here then are my thoughts:

Alice in Wonderland was a beautiful and entertaining movie.

If you like Tim Burton, Johnny Depp or Alice in Wonderland, you will probably enjoy this movie.

If you have been anxiously awaiting the release of this movie, you might be somewhat disappointed but you have probably already seen it in this case.

If you have children, you should be aware that this film has some grotesque moments and if your children are younger than say Grade 4, you might want to take a pass on this movie.

I rated it a 3 out of 5. Fun but not fantastic. Entertaining but not destined for my favorite all-time movies list.

I saw it in 3D and thought that I might have preferred it in 2D.  I guess I will have to wait for the Alice in Wonderland blu-ray movie release to see it in that format.

I read somewhere recently that there have been something like 60 filmed versions of Lewis Carroll's book...that is pretty remarkable.  I wonder how Tim Burton's version will stand the test of time.

Please let me know what you thought of this latest Alice in Wonderland movie.

Find your copy of Alice in Wonderland from Amazon on Prime, Blu-ray disc or DVD by clicking here.  

See you
at the movies.
Brenda

The New Alice in Wonderland Movie Review

What a day! One packed with movies including the new Alice in Wonderland movie by Tim Burton. My 16-year old son and I spent quite a lot of time discussing it afterward. I decided I was not ready to commit my thoughts to paper yet but I did want to give you a taste of what I am thinking.

While Tim Burton's Alice may not have been the best-ever movie that I have seen and it will not unfortunately make my new My Favorite Movie List, it was entertaining and WOW it was beautiful. The scenery was amazing and I, as always, loved Johnny Depp.

If you are wondering whether or not to watch 3D or 2D, I would say try 2D. That is the way Tim Burton originally shot it and I am not really sure that the 3D version added much to the already magnificent visuals of this movie.

I look forward to hearing what YOU think about this movie.

Fans of Depp's portrayal of the Mad Hatter will want to add this t-shirt to their collection.  You can find it in the Etsy store of Barbarian's Crafts where it is available in two colors - black or white and in sizes and styles suitable for men and women. Buy your Have I Gone Mad t-shirt from Etsy by clicking right here.

See you
at the Movies!
Brenda

Quick Link:

Tim Burton's New Alice in Wonderland Movie Reviews
My Favorite Movie List

Tim Burton's New Alice in Wonderland Movie Reviews

Have the names Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland and Johnny Depp set you up for a fantastic time at the movie theatre? Are you more than a little bit anxious to see the new Alice movie? Are you forced to wait for one reason or another? Is the suspense killing you?

I have to admit that it is killing me and so I went looking for a new Alice movie review or two and here is what I discovered...

Rotten Tomatoes has it rated at a pretty low 56 percent, with the opinion being that Tim Burton has given up the heart of the Alice in Wonderland story for a visual treat.

I enjoyed the review a bit more at The Daily You, even though it was not as flattering as I wished it to be. Their summary of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland might be that the story doesn't quite live up to the eye candy.

Screen Crave was a little more positive giving the film a 7.5 and saying that the acting, music and visuals were good but that the story is the same. (In my mind, that part is good, I did not expect anything too different on the story front although I understand that this Alice is older than the one we normally know.)

I liked the Blog Critics new Alice movie review because it gives us reason to hope that yes, we might actually like this film. It says that this film will live up to our expectations.

If you are wondering about the appropriateness of this film for your children, you might like to know that The Christian Science Monitor calls the movie PG citing "fantasy action and violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar."

And finally, the word from one of my absolute favorite online movie reviewers, Nell Minnow, who writes as The Movie Mom on Beliefnet.  She recommends the movie for children aged Grade 4 and up and she gives the issues in the film a more thorough description when she says that this film features "some grotesque and scary images including monsters with lots of teeth, wounds, and severed monster head, gouged eye, fantasy violence including chases, swords, punching and beheading." Definitely good reasons NOT to take your young children to see this version of Alice in Wonderland.  Oh, and she grades the movie, too, with a B+ which makes me smile. I have been trusting the Movie Mom's opinions for well over 10 years and now, once again, I feel like there is still hope for this much anticipated movie.

Am I going to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland at the movie theatre? You bet I am!  Meanwhile, I would love to hear if you are planning on seeing it or, if you have already seen it, what you thought of it.

See you

in Wonderland!

Brenda

Quick Links:

Buy the Alice in Wonderland poster shown at the top of this page from Amazon.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland Movie Merchandise

What does Disney do best? Make movies? Maybe, but they also do a phenomenal job of creating movie merchandise. Unsurprisingly, they are the world’s LARGEST licensor of consumer products.

Eventually, I will be writing a review about Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland but right now I am intrigued by the merchandising since we all know that movie merchandise seems to be almost as important as the movie itself these days.

With Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Disney has chosen to go after the 12 to 34 year old age bracket. Disney already has the princesses of the younger generation sold and they know that this new age group is a tough demographic to sell to. Disney is trying to set up 'Alice' as the adult version of 'Disney Princess.'

The merchandise available for this movie includes some more unusual home decor, apparel, designer accessories and jewelry by the likes of Swarovski, Stella McCartney, Sue Wong, Avril Lavigne plus collectible figurines and even a tea set. Of course, there are also the more ordinary or usual merchandise items like CDs, books and video games.

Since the original Alice in Wonderland is out of copyright there is likely also to be unofficial product available too, like the Versace handbags I have read about which feature the White Rabbit. (I wouldn't mind seeing one of those; I could not actually find any reference to them online. Although Alice in Wonderland is said to have inspired Versace's 2010 spring fashion line.) At least Disney's official products should bring merchandise of a consistent quality.

In terms of marketing, Disney has to walk a fine line here as the danger in this age bracket is very real of turning the fans off with too much merchandise. This age group likes things to be on the fringe and if the merchandising is too mainstream it won't be cool enough for them anymore.

Can Disney convince 12 to 34 year old women to buy into Alice? Perhaps they can, especially with Tim Burton involved. And never forget the draw of Johnny Depp...

People ARE talking about this movie and they ARE shopping.  Disney has definitely done something right.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland Barbie Doll
Disney's Alice in Wonderland Through the Keyhole Tote Bag

Alice TV Mini Series (2009) Movie Review

Was the Alice TV mini series that aired in December, 2009, weird enough for you? It certainly was a unique two-part movie that appealed to a fair number of people. A modern version of Alice's world. (Check out the number of five-star reviews from Amazon's customers.)

I watched it and would concur that it was unusual, as Wonderland was originally intended. My 16-year old son watched it and enjoyed it.

If you saw it, I cannot help but wonder what you thought of it. (Make sure you let me know by leaving me a comment in the box below.)

If you did not see it when it aired on television in December of 2009 but you are curious about it, you can read a slightly longer review at my new page, Alice TV Mini Series (2009) Movie Review.

If you loved Alice and are simply looking to buy your own copy, I suggest you check out Amazon, where the blu-ray and DVD versions are available, already deeply discounted, for pre-order for shipping on March 2nd, 2010, the release date.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Order your own copy of the Alice TV Mini Series (2009) from Amazon.
Read my movie review of Alice, the miniseries.