Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summmer Event

Free Family Event



Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Movie Poster
Image Provided by Relativity Media

Free Event June 5, 2011 in Los Angeles


You're in luck if you or your child is a Judy Moody fan.  First, you'll want to check out this story featuring an exclusive interview with the author and stars of Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.  This film will be released in theaters nationwide on June 10th.

Then -- in advance of this feature's release -- if you are fortunate enough to be within driving distance of Los Angeles this weekend you can actually meet Judy Moody book series author, Megan McDonald, along with 13 year-old Jordana Beatty who has the title role.  You can also join Radio Disney presenting Camryn, who sings the film's key songs, in a live concert.  Read on for all the details.  I hope to see everyone there!

 Judy Moody Movie
FREE Special Event

 
Sunday, June 5th
in the Park
11:45 am - 1:30 pm

ENTER to WIN
Tickets to the Pre-event Screening
Email your name, age and city to:
judymoodyla@gmail.com 



FTC Disclosure:  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  I am attending a screening of this movie from Relativity Media as well as reviewing the new Judy Moody books related to the movie from Candlewick shortly.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Thomas and Friends Movie Toy Giveaway

GIVEAWAY


Celebrating the Thomas and Friends Hero of the Rails movie, Mommy Blog Expert is pleased to be hosting an exclusive Thomas Tank Engine toy giveway for our national family following.

 


Enter Our MBE Exclusive Toy Giveaway - ENDS 7/1/11

The Thomas: Hero of the Rails movie is in Theaters Weekends this June

For the entire month of weekends in June it's Kidtoons' Thomas: Hero of the Rails showing in select theaters nationwide with reduced ticket prices at many locations.  In addition to our giveaway, everyone can download a Buy 1, Get 1 FREE Coupon at Kidtoons.com in honor of Father's Day.

Every month MommyBlogExpert has been thrilled to be among the chosen few blogs to host some really great family friendly monthly Kidtoons movie giveaways. These include Spookley Square Pumpkin, Care Bears: Share Bear Shines, Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, Barbie Fairy Secret, Little Engine That Could, Strawberry Shortcake: Sky's the Limit, and Olivia and the Great Outdoors in conjunction with their monthly screenings just for children in theaters nationwide.

Kidtoons giveaways are different every month depending on the movie.  But, they're always fun and wholesome for children, so don't miss out on entering the current giveaway as well as subscribing to MommyBlogExpert.com so you will be among the first to know when next month's giveaway is announced.


Thomas: Hero of the Rails
GIVEAWAY CONTEST
Ends July 1, 2011




For this giveaway one lucky winner gets all these prizes in The Thomas Prize Pack
  • 1 Thomas Train
  • 1 Toby Train
  • 1 Kidtoons Flashlight
  • 1 Thomas Hero of the Rails Movie Poster

    HOW TO ENTER
    Leave one or more comments below this post.   Contest ends July 1, 2011 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only.

    For the Required (Mandatory) Entry
    Simply leave a comment below this blogpost with your email address, Facebook or Twitter contact info so we may contact the winner.   In the event that you are the lucky one, MommyBlogExpert will contact you for your shipping address. 

    For Additional Chances to Win
    Get extra entries for following MommyBlogExpert and/or Kidtoons on Twitter and/or Facebook and for subscribing to this blog.  Remember: Be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert to leave an additional comment after each individual action you do to confirm them so we can record all your extra chances to win.

    EXTRA Chances to WIN Include 

    Following @MommyBlogExpert (1 or 2 extra entries)
    On Twitter
    On Facebook
     
    Following @KidtoonFilms (1 or 2 extra entries)
    On Twitter
    On Facebook  
     
    In ADDITION to doing any or all of the extra entries above, you can earn one extra entry each time you Tweet the message exactly in the paragraph immediately below (limit 3 separate tweets for 3 extra entries per day). 

    Thomas Hero of the Rails @KidtoonFilms #GIVEAWAY #kids #movie http://tinyurl.com/3la6sph #ThomasTankEngine #trains #toys RT 2 #WIN

    Don't forget to return to leave a comment on this post with the direct link to right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive an entry for all your RTs.

    About Kidtoon Films
    Kidtoons mission is to showcase fun and affordable family-centric movies at participating theaters. Every month a different entertaining child's film is screened at well over 100 neighborhood theaters across the U.S.   So, be sure to check theater locations near you because more big screens where you can take your child to see this have been added recently .

    This concept brings parents and children together to enjoy kid-friendly characters, cartoons, music videos and sing-a-longs as well as giveaways for the kid audience members like stickers, activity books or toys after every film.

    Everyone can get a FREE movie pass to a Kidtoon Films showing in your neighborhood on your child's birthday.  Sign up your kid(s) for the Birthday Club here. See more information on the Kidtoons concept and find the theater location nearest you where this cute film is showing, as well as see the movie's trailer here.

    FTC Disclosure: Kidtoon Films has provided the prizes for this giveaway.  However, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
    Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

    The True Meaning of Memorial Day in America


    American Observance

    Regular readers of this blog know I am a passionate supporter of our troops, both those who are fighting today and the many who've lost their lives in past wars and conflicts. 

    Memorial Day always seems to awaken me to a sad reality of the changing times.  Nowadays, when you ask just about any one under the age of 40 what their thoughts are about the significance of this day, you'll likely hear some variation of one of these responses:
    • It's a long holiday weekend off from work and school 
    • It's a non-stop 3-day celebration of some of the best store sales
    • It's the official beginning of BBQ season 
    I consider myself one of the fortunate ones who would give a completely different sort of answer to this poignant question.  As a child growing up in the 60s I remember not only learning about the history of Memorial Day at school and what it was all about.  I also recall my father raising the American flag in front of our house each year as well as attending memorial services to remember those who had served and sacrificed their lives in past wars.  Finally, I recollect going to watch a patriotic parade that included men from our local VFW chapter marching by.

    Back then when I was in grade school this day of memorial was always marked largely as a somber but uplifting occasion on May 30th.  It wasn't until 1971 when -- as dictated by a new U.S. law -- this Federal Holiday was permanently changed to the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend.  To this day, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) still want to revert back to the original date.  I tend to agree with these groups in that creating three-day weekends out of convenience is likely the reason why the younger generation no longer really understands the meaning of Memorial Day.

    History of the Day
    Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day.  It was first observed by Freedmen (freed enslaved Blacks from the South) in Charleston, South Carolina in 1865 in memory of fallen Union Civil War soldiers.  The first reference to "Memorial Day" was in 1882 and this gradually came to be the preferred name of the day.  However, the observance did not become widely known until the end of World War II and the U.S. government didn't officially change the name to Memorial Day until 1967.

    How You Can Help Bring Back the Day's True Meaning
    The best way, in my opinion, to recapture the day's original semblance is to teach our children how important it is to honor the brave men and women who have served our country in the past, as well as those men and women who are actively serving.  Also, we can't forget American military families as well as living veterans -- instead we need to support them and look to them for inspiration.


    A few other ideas to take a more active role:
    • You and your kids can send messages thanking military service people and their families here
    • If your family is interested, you'll find lots of additional ways to get involved at JoiningForces.gov 
    Feel free to share additional ways you know about that help remind us all about what Memorial Day in America is really all about.


    FTC Disclosure:  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one. 
    No comments:

    Judy Moody Not Bummer Summer Behind Scenes

    Movies

    MBE partnered with the Judy Moody Movie for this post


    MBE interviews stars of the film

    Photo Above
    Front: Megan McDonald, Parris Mosteller, Jordana Beatty 
    Back: MommyBlogExpert's Daughters
    Photo by MommyBlogExpert.com 

    With so many popular book authors, celebrities, and high profile personalities making appearances and multiple stages operating simultaneously, the 2011 Los Angeles Festival of Books was definitely one activity I can check off my bucket list.  For sure, covering an event like this with my family in tow really makes me appreciate the fabulous benefits of working as a professional mommy blogger.

    Truly the high point of that day was when my triplet daughters and I sat down for an exclusive interview with Megan McDonald, author of the popular and best-selling Judy Moody Book Series, and kid stars Jordana Beatty and Parris Mosteller.  Our talk zeroed in on Judy Moody and The Not Bummer Summer, the movie from Relativity Media and Smokewood Entertainment that's opening Friday, June 10th.



    Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Movie
    Image, Relativity Media & Smokewood Entertainment

    This kids feature film, rated PG for mild rude humor and language, centers around bummed-out Judy who is left behind for the summer when all her friends go off to summer camp.  Now, with only buddy Frank and little brother Stink still around, all she has to look forward to is the most boring summer ever.  That is, until her fun-loving Aunt Opal makes an impromptu visit and the kids soon discover what they're really in for is the funnest summer of anyone in their crowd.

    What a pleasure as a mom it was for me to finally meet Megan, Judy Moody's creator, who says the main character is modeled after herself.  For the last ten years, this youth author has been writing the wholesome Judy Moody series, enchanting an entire generation of girls with her prose, including my daughters.
      

    Judy Moody props from the movie
    Photo by MommyBlogExpert.com


    "Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody," the author tells us with a giggle when we first meet. "I'm certainly moody like the character is and Judy's always speaking up for herself, just like I do.  I have messy hair and love collections of odd things like Judy does, too."

    My girls are 13, BTW, just like Australian actress Jordana who plays the title role of Judy Moody, so the three of them connected almost instantaneously.  And, I hope Parris -- who performs the role of kid brother Stink Moody -- won't smack me for saying this, but my girls and I all thought you were absolutely Adorable with a capital A.
      


    Jordana (Judy Moody) with Heather Graham (Aunt Pearl)
    Image provided by Smokewood Entertainment

    From talking to the two young actors, these talented kids certainly appear to be ideal for the characters they play on screen.  The sister-brother chemistry between them really showed through as we chatted.  That day, we didn't get to meet Heather Graham, who plays the wild and wacky fun-loving Aunt Pearl to these youngsters, but from the clips of the movie we've seen so far, this A-list actress seems to be well-cast for her character as well.

    This is Jordana's first lead role in a motion picture.  Previously, she played the little girl in Superman Returns (2006) as well as acquiring some television credits.  An only child in real life, she's a regular teen girl who is also strikingly beautiful with her naturally curly red hair even without wearing any makeup.  During our interview she shares that having to cut her long locks was probably the single-most difficult thing she had to do for her role in the film.


    Jordana Beatty
    Photo by Tashi Palmer


    "I really enjoyed working on this film," says the budding actress.  "I was far away from my home in Australia filming on locations around Southern California for three months.  But, this project was great fun to work on.  In fact, without this movie I probably would never have had the chance to learn to walk a tightrope -- which was my favorite scene to film -- or ride on the Goliath Roller Coaster at Magic Mountain."

    Parris, who lives in a Southern California beach town, has the perfect spunk and wise-cracking attitude that any annoying little brother would be proud to own.  Though he's only 8 years old and does still act like a kid, he's also able to articulate at a level that goes way beyond his years.  Among his other acting credits are the Worst Week TV series and voice overs for a trio of Paramount Pictures projects: The Last Airbender, Fred Claus, and Into the Wild.  He has had several other roles on screen and in commercials, as well.


    Parris Mosteller during our interview
    Photo by MommyBlogExpert.com

    This blond-headed fellow with a sparkling smile that disarms you, tells us that he is one of five boys (second to the oldest).  So, I'd say that his mom sure has her work cut out for her with five sons, right?  

    I hope to be reviewing both the book based on the screenplay as well as to screen the movie Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer shortly.  So, watch for book and movie reviews soon as well as more posts on this topic in the coming weeks on MommyBlogExpert.

    Meanwhile, please leave a comment.  What's your (or your child's) favorite Judy Moody book?  What do you think makes Judy so lovable among her target audience?


    FTC Disclosure:  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one. 
    Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D - A DreamWorks Masterpiece Blending Modern Comedy With Ancient Culture



    Family Movies

    Kung Fu Panda 2 Giveway details below review

    My Oldest Son & Me at the Mommy Blogger DreamWorks Event
    iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com
     
    When I was invited as one of about 20 other mommy bloggers to bring my family to screen Kung Fu Panda 2 and spend the day on the lot at DreamWorks in Glendale, California, my kids were ecstatic.  

    Having seen and loved the original Kung Fu Panda (2008) which was nominated for both Academy and Golden Globe Awards and grossed $633 million at the box office, they were truly thrilled to have this once in a lifetime opportunity to see the sequel in the world-class screening room on the studio's peaceful green campus where this was made.
    Two of the DreamWorks Oscar Awards on Display at the Studio
    iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com


    On May 26, the animated comedy in 3D and 3D Digital opens in theaters nationwide.  The feature stars the voices of A-listers Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Victor Garber, Dennis Haysbert, and Jean-Claude Van Damme.  This landmark film is directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson who, notably, breaks a glass ceiling for females in Hollywood for her leadership.  It is rated PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence by the MPAA. 

    As the story unfolds in Kung Fu Panda 2, Po, the lovable rollie-pollie panda voiced by Black, has achieved his life-long dream.  He's The Dragon Warrior and his duty is to protect the inhabitants of the Valley of Peace with the help of his cohorts and and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five.  The fab five, BTW, include the Tigress (Jolie),  Monkey (Chan), Mantis (Rogen), Viper (Liu), and Crane (Cross). 
    My Daughters at the DreamWorks On-Campus Theater
    iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

    In short order, conflict arises in the form of a new bad guy in town.  Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by a horrific force of evil, Lord Chen (Oldman) -- a virile, wicked peacock who seeks to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer all of China and destroy kung fu forever.  Stuck in this major predicament, Po realizes that to gain the strength he needs to succeed, he must revisit his upbringing as a child to retrieve the secrets of his mysterious origins and find out the real reason why is father was a goose.
     
    According to DreamWorks production notes from the film provided to the press, "Not only the kung fu got kicked up a notch, but so did the sets.  The whole city, the big vistas, the gorgeous ancient Chinese landscapes and sunsets—and now, ker-ching, they’re in 3D."

    Audiences young and old who see this are in for a treat.  That's because -- perhaps without even realizing it -- they'll find themselves learning all about ancient Chinese culture that has been artfully disguised as entertainment for kids.  The painstaking attention to detail in creating intricate interiors of the palace is Architecture 101 while the many different types of weaponry in various fight and battle scenes is a historical overview on the topic.  

    In fact, I was fascinated to learn that the creative team actually spent a bit of time in China, visiting the walled city of Pingyao, the Shaolin Monastery, historic Beijing, and Chengu in the southwestern Sichuan Province.  The filmmakers also drew visual inspiration by visiting a panda reserve and some Buddhist and Taoist temples and shrines in the mist-enshrined mountains.

    Truly spectacular was the Final Battle at the movie's end.  Along with almost 30,000 wolf bad buys, there were 16 types of Chinese boats with 771 vessels in all.  That's not even to mention all the animation and fabulous musical score that showcase various Asian classical instruments that most of the public might have previously seen only in museums.

    Image provided by DreamWorks

    In this fast-paced, action packed sequel to Kung Fu Panda (2008), DreamWorks once again out does itself in accomplishing animated feats like never before.  The fireworks (also known to the Chinese as sky flowers) are spectacularly executed.  The water scenes -- from mist, to waterfalls, to rivers and other bodies of water are replete with realism, the viewer is convinced of all its wet and cool properties.

    Overall my kids and I largely enjoyed this movie, which was so fast-paced that the time watching it seemed to fly at warp speed.  I would, however, suggest that parents of very young children seriously consider whether or not this is appropriate for their little ones' ears or eyes.  This animated film has some rather violent fight scenes incorporating many types of weapons, some very vicious characters, and scary scenes.  Also, the fireworks did look real and were pretty to look at but might make some of the smaller kids not accustomed to loud noises cry.

    View the trailer by visiting DreamWorks official Kung Fu Panda 2 site
    Image provided by DreamWorks

    Kung Fu Panda 2 Sweepstakes - Ends 6/7/11
    One lucky person will win a treasure trove of Kung Fu Panda 2 licensed merchandise. Enter for your chance to win up to 3 times daily HERE

    Have you seen Kung Fu Panda 2 yet? If so, what did you think? I encourage you to share your own impressions with this blog's readership.

    FTC Disclosure: My family and I attended attended a special event at DreamWorks to screen Kung Fu Panda 2 to facilitate this review. We also received a lovely lunch, behind the scenes tour of the DreamWorks campus and a goodie bag.  However, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
    No comments:
    Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)