Tag Archive for Entertainment

Christmas Movies – Movie Review Monday

This really isn’t a review per se, more like a generic post about Christmas movies.

We started watching some Christmas movies over the Thanksgiving weekend. Some old and some new. Miracle on 34th Street starring Maureen O’Hara was one of the ones we watched on Thanksgiving. It was one of my Dad’s favorites when my sisters and I were growing up. I still remember him calling to us as he always did when he wanted us to watch something with him (like 6pm Disney World on Sunday nights). Even though we do not celebrate Santa Claus, I love this movie’s story line and the warm memories it brings back.

One of the Christmas movies my husband grew up watching was A Christmas Story with “Ralphie”. This is a movie that my husband and children like, but I could live without. I detest the language in it and think it’s crude, but they all sat there laughing through it. My oldest could not understand how I could not watch it. I was in the room but ended up working on some project rather than paying attention to the movie.

We also watched The Nativity Story about the birth of Jesus on Sunday. It is one of our favorites now too.

Of course the classics like It’s a Wonderful Life, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Charlie Brown’s Christmas are usually on our must-see list.

We also watched a couple of “ABC Family Night” Christmas movies. Well, my daughters and I watched them and I am glad it was my older children because they contained a lot of adult content that I would not consider family-friendly. Even my oldest said that she thought Walmart was doing a better job with family movie night…yay Walmart and P&G!

So do you have your Christmas movie favorites? Feel free to warn us against the duds too so we can avoid them!

Confessions on XFactor Night

Ok, I admit we are XFactor junkies at our house. My husband is a huge music buff (it was at a Christian music concert that he found a relationship with God!) and I…well…get pulled in by the contestants’ stories. When my husband was laid off a few years ago we discovered Britain’s Got Talent through Susan Boyle’s sensational audition that went viral, that in turn lead to us finding out about the UK’s XFactor. I am actually almost ashamed to admit this but we watch the UK, Australian and now the US version of the show. My husband and I usually watch it first, as with tonight’s US show and then watch it with our children. That way any scantily clad dancers, inappropriate lyrics etc. can be screened out of their view. Most of the time the show is pretty much ok, but it’s the music/entertainment industry’s standards that mess things up – at least for our family.

The girls categories on both the US and UK versions are strong this year. It was the boys category that was strong on the Aussie version.

So are their any other XFactor fans out there? Any thoughts? We think Simon Cowell makes the show and the chemistry between him and the other US judges is pretty fun to watch. After all the show is for our entertainment, right?

Now off to my cheap date night with my husband! (I did not get this posted because as I nursed my son to sleep he lulled me to sleep! I know all you nursing moms understand! ;-) )

The results of last night’s show are on tonight on Fox.

I have started three posts this week and have not got back to them, so I am trying to get them posted now.

Cars 2 Racing To Theaters!

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

CARS 2 races into theatres everywhere in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D on June 24th! Watch the trailer here.

Let’s Do Lunch

This was a cool video done by Kelly Lester, of EasyLunchBoxes.com and celebrity guest, Sam Harris, thought it was worth sharing since we really like the EasyLunchboxes!

Faith and Family Movie Review: Rust

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

I have a couple more movies to review so I can get my links sent to our contact. So I have one more for this week and hopefully two more for next week.

Rust is a movie with content of a more serious nature, but faith, family, friends – relationships – were a huge focus. In this movie actor Corbin Bernsen plays a former minister who is troubled in his soul. He returns to the town where he grew up only to rediscover his purpose as a minister. I loved the loyalty that Corbin Bernsen’s character, Jimmy, displayed. He was a true friend despite circumstances forcing others to turn away from a close childhood friend.

Due to the content being more serious, our oldest did not enjoy it as much. She thought it was scary because of a tragic event that occurred. She told us this after the fact. This was actually one movie we did not preview before the children. The other children seemed to like it (maybe not quite as much as others) and I think we addressed concerns as they arose during the movie. However, for that reason I would advise parents of younger children to preview it first to see if they think their children will be able to handle the content.

Because we were not expecting one surprising element of Rust, I think we enjoyed it more than we would have otherwise, as it has a rather unique story line. It’s always thought provoking to watch a movie that deals with real life issues. The relationship aspect of the movie makes us take a look at our own relationships and question how we can improve them and I think that is a good thing, as long as we seek the Lord’s leading too.

Watch one of Rust’s trailers (there are more at www.rustmovie.com):

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sweet Exchange

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

If you are familiar with the group Point of Grace, then you will remember Heather Payne who sang with the group before she left to focus more on her family. In spending more time with her family she and her husband were interested in teaching their children more of the traditional hymns that have all but disappeared from some mainstream churches. That led Heather to consider recording her own single album with all the old hymns but with a modern flair.

Sweet Exchange is Heather’s her new album as a soloist artist, which she recorded in a friend’s home studio on days her children were at school. What a mom, eh?! Her album is beautiful and will appeal to the younger generation who is not use to singing or listening to the old hymns. The words are the same but Heather has attempted to update them to appeal to a wider audience. So even if you don’t attend church this album just might surprise you and appeal to your ear.

Personally, I love the old hymns, but I grew up singing them in church so they are what I know. They are so rich with meaning and truth of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for each and everyone of us.

Heather’s Sweet Exchange album is available here.

The Moms Blog Letters to God DVD Giveaway

Letters To God

We posted a review of Letters to God on Monday and I came across The Moms Blog which is giving away 5 copies of the Letters to God DVD. Visit http://themomblogs.com/momblog/?p=152 to enter to win your copy.

Set Apart DVD

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We requested the movie Set Apart from our library via interlibrary loan. We had read a description of it in the CBD catalog and were intrigued.

Set Apart is about a ministry reaching out to inner city kids who are being tempted all around by negative influences. Four of those kids get an opportunity to escape to the country side to see what life on a ranch is like.

Friendship, trust, action, excitement, comedy make up this poignant drama. It may be a little scary in parts for little ones, so parents be advised you may wish to view it first so you can properly prepare them.

We really enjoyed it as a family, so wanted to be sure to mention it as another family-friendly movie.