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Strollerderby
As our children get older, we often find that we have to make adjustments in the way we conduct ourselves. Where it might be perfectly okay to tell a dirty joke in front of a little baby, telling that same joke in front of an adolescent is a whole different story. Because even while we would like to think that what we are talking about is going over their little heads, experts say that’s not necessarily the case. Continue reading »
The Wizard of Oz is featured as today’s Google Doodle on the search engine’s home page. What’s so special about this old movie that it would merit such an honor? Well, it was 71 years ago today that classic film starring Judy Garland made its big screen debut and began a long tradition of scaring the pants of little kids.
The Wizard of Oz was a mighty big deal when I was growing up. In the days before cable television and DVDs, the only way to see it was to wait for it to be shown on television. Once a year, I brought my blanket to the living room and settled in on the couch for a night of excitement, wonder and pure terror. The blanket, of course, was for hiding my face when I couldn’t bear to look. For a kid in the 1970′s that movie was wicked scary. Continue reading »
Steven Zeitchik, film blogger for the LA Times, suggests that any day now Movieplex’s everywhere may be filled solely with family-friendly fare. The latest kid flicks, Toy Story 3 and The Karate Kid, both had huge opening weekends at the box office. “It’s impossible not to notice a trend in all this: Families are the ones going to the movies these days. Perhaps the only ones,” he says.
Zeitchik notes that “almost every big hit among the 2010 releases has been a movie whose primary, if not overwhelming, audience is children 12 and under. Movies like How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek Forever After and Alice in Wonderland were all hits. So what of the notion of a families-only movieplex? I say, why not?!
Several movie theatres around the country are offering “Mommy and Me” showings of films like Twilight Eclipse and Eat Pray Love. Couple a few low-action, plot-heavy films grown-ups with newborns are dying to see with movies like Despicable Me, and you could make a fortune! And while I’m designing my own custom-built movie theatre, let’s add the leather recliners, alcoholic beverage service and Sugar Cane Shrimp Skewers offered by National Amusements at their Cinema De Lux locations. Continue reading »
The latest kids’ flick How to Train Your Dragon, though delightful, is pure sensory overload. Colorful, loud, and 3-D, it caused my own kids to take off their 3-D glasses several times just to get a break from the action.
It’s those bright lights and loud sounds that make a trip to the movies difficult for kids with autism or other sensory issues. But thanks to the Sensory Friendly Films program, a partnership of The Autism Society and AMC Theaters, kids with autism and their families can now enjoy a day out at the movies, too.
Reviewing kids’ movies is tricky. Critics are supposed to write reviews based on the merits of the work itself. But with entertainment specifically aimed at children, I think it’s important to mention whether or not the target audience is likely to enjoy it, even if, as a critic, I didn’t. So here is my review of “The Spy Next Door.” Continue reading »
My wife was pleasantly surprised and happy with the Princess and the Frog, the new Disney princess fest that took the top spot at the box office this weekend.
After the movie, she told me that Tiana, the first ever black Disney princess, was all about hard work and doing things for herself, and I kicked myself for not tagging along. Continue reading »
If the pile of storybooks sent my way by the folks at Random House are any indication, Princess Tiana might be the best role model for our kids to come out of the Disney vault.
With my daughter breathlessly awaiting The Princess and the Frog debut in theaters, we’ve spent the last several nights reading the Tiana books to satisfy her cravings. The good news? Continue reading »
Lori Garcia 
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
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