Posts by Jeremy Butler

Nalyce was very excited for this disc. Vampirina is one of her favorite shows to watch on Disney Junior. I will admit that it was not as bad as I figured it would be. Vampirina follows the story of Vampirina "Vee" Hauntley, who becomes a new kid on the block after she and her family move from Transylvania to Pennsylvania to open a local bed and breakfast called the Scare B&B for visiting ghouls and goblins. The Hauntley family have to learn to do things the "Pennsylvania way," especially when Vee is at school. Vee has a group of people helping her to blend in and keep her superpowers in check. At home, there are her parents, as well as Gregoria the gargoyle and Demi the ghost. At school, she is assisted by her two human friends who know her secret, Poppy and Bridget. It is a fish-out-of-water story for the younger generation.

The 30-minute episodes are broken into two halves (with the exception of Home Scream Home), each featuring a different story with a different and age-appropriate them such as the importance of sportsmanship, or the one that was my favorite, Vampire Weekend, where Poppy and Vee temporarily switch lives, with Poppy becoming a vampire and Vee walking a mile in the shoes of a human. What can I say; I’m a sucker for the Freaky Friday subplot. In this case, I feel that it depicts the importance of appreciating what you have in your life, as the grass is not always greener on the other side. However, when you are attempting to make that point to a six-year-old, something gets lost in translation. To her, it would just be cool to be a vampire and have superspeed. I can’t exactly fault her logic on that one.

What in the world am I watching? That was my initial thought at the beginning of Blood, Sweat and Terrors, a film anthology featuring several short films on varying topics. One common element of all the stories is that they all delve into violence during their run. Some with great success, and some that turned out to be so surreal and dark that my wife had to leave the room due to fear of nightmares. Let me tell ya, at one point I considered joining her. To its credit, not all the short films are that deranged, and after a while it was like having my very own film festival in my living room. 

Lahinch is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland.  It has a population of around 642 people and is known for the Dough Castle tower ruins and the Lahinch Golf Club, where the South of Ireland Championship is played. However, it is mostly notable, especially for the purpose of this documentary, for being one of the foremost surfing locations in Ireland. That is the key component of the documentary, Between Land and Sea, which is set against the backdrop of Ireland’s west coast and captures the beauty of the landscape as well as the waves that even someone like me, who has never stepped on a surfboard, is tempted to ride.

Between Land and Sea is told in an observational documentary format, meaning that there is no narration, and the audience is treated as being a part of the conversation, which was fairly immersive in my opinion. It made me feel like I was actually there engaging in the conversation with the individual being interviewed. First we are introduced to a local, who works predominantly through the year as a miner, but his true passion appears to be for making surfboards. The film goes on to interview his family, as well as other members of the community including former professional surfer Fergal Smith and a cameo for surfing legend Shane Dorian. The most captivating portion for me was the landscape, which was captured beautifully. I’ve always known that Ireland had a rugged beauty to it, but here it was full-frontal. Granted the focus was on this one coastal town, but still there was no denying the allure of Lahinch.

I have never really been one for art, and Revolution: New Art for a New World, did little to move me on that particular subject, but it was very informative. I can honestly say that I learned a lot more about the Russian avant-garde period than I knew beforehand, which was basically nothing. This educational film would be very suitable for an art history class or those who are very passionate about art, as it truly does present a great amount of detail regarding the time period. It even goes as far as to interview descendants of the pioneer artists of the era, such as Kazmir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky. For those among you who are art lovers and want to be able to talk about the avant-garde with some level of understanding and comprehension, I would encourage you to give this documentary a watch.

So what is Russian avant-garde? It was an influential wave of works that were considered experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society. It was an art form that was popular during the Russian Empire and Soviet Union, namely between 1890 and 1930, which covered several art movements such as Suprematism, Constructivism, Russian Futurism, Cubo-Futurism, Zaum, and Neo-Primitivism. To me that all amounts to one specific term: abstract art.

This one proved to be too juvenile for my kiddo and was way too juvenile for me. However, I maintain that with the right demographic, it is guaranteed hit. Muppet Babies: Time to Play is a reimagining of the original series and airs on Disney Junior. It brings back everyone’s favorite muppets, including Kermit, Piggy, and of course Gonzo. Imagination is key for this disc, as the characters transport themselves out of their daycare class and into several fantastic scenarios, like flying a plane or imagining themselves as a knight to overcome a fear of the dark. As I said, not really my cup of tea, but it was done in a charming way that it is easy to see it appealing to a younger audience. Just not my kid, who immediately asked to watch something else.

The disc is broken down into six episodes, with each episode having two parts usually featuring one muppet as the central focus. In every part there is a specific lesson, such as in the first episode with Kermit imagining himself a knight as a way of overcoming a fear of the dark. I know I mentioned this plot already, but it was the one that I most identified with as I recall how difficult it was for me as a child, and I remember that my imagination is what got me through. That speaks to the relatability of the disc, as I am nowhere close to the desired age group, but I was still able to find something to identify with.

Never before have I seen a series that managed to captivate my daughter the way that Elena of Avalor: Realm of the Jaquins did. I mean, it was amazing. To give you some context, my daughter is six years old and has enough energy to exhaust a brand new puppy. Her attention span is usually no more than five minutes, but when I put this show on; she never looked away from the television. In fact, I’m not even sure that she blinked. I will admit that I enjoyed the series myself, especially the two-part titular episode that focused on the fictional Jaquin creatures that serve as the guardians of Avalor. Charming, and full of catchy original music, Elena of Avalor: Realm of the Jaquins is an excellent bonding experience for both child and parent.

Fair warning to parents: you are dropped right into the action, so I would recommend some research before attempting to watch; that way you can better follow the story. For me, my research was asking my daughter, who apparently knew everything about the show. To summarize, Elena Castillo Flores is the Crown Princess of Avalor, a magical kingdom that she must protect from an evil sorceress. Despite only being a teenager, Elena must shoulder the same responsibilities as any ruler, such as meeting with her Grand Council and making decisions that affect all the people under her charge. In this four-episode feature disc, Elena breaks tradition and travels to the world of the Jaquins in order to convince their leader to give Jacquin Nico, another chance to take the guardian test. As humans are not allowed in the world of the Jaquin, her enemies take advantage of her desires to help a friend and a free a dangerous forest sprite named Marimonda who was imprisoned centuries earlier. With the sprite determined to destroy Avalor, Elena must call upon her magical scepter, a weapon she is still learning to use, to save her people and defeat the sprite. The following two episodes set up a showdown between Elena and her archenemy, Shuriki.