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June 2008 Releases for Ages 12-18
The Adventures of Food Boy
A comedy about a teenage boy (Ezra) who inadvertently discovers that he has the power to make food appear in his hands. Ezra must ultimately choose either to embrace his unexpected but extraordinary talent or to return to his original life plan. Starring Lucas Grabeel, Brittany Curran, Kunal Sharma, Ryne Sanborn, Noah Bastian and McCall Clark.
Age: 8-14
90 min.
Independent Feature from Cold Spark Films.
Ballet Shoes
Emma Watson leads and all-star cast that includes Emilia Fox, Victoria Wood and Richard Griffiths in the adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's enchanting novel about three orphans who embark on an exhilarating journey to realize their dreams. Adult Juror Comments: Visually appealing period piece that takes place in the 20s. The storyline about three orphaned children and the woman who raises them does everything to encourage their character and career development. Starring Emma Watson (Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films) who plays one of the three sisters. It deals with the struggles of a poor English family during the depression and what they needed to do to survive whether it be lack of food or making their own clothing. The sisters rise above their situation to pursue their dreams - providing good role models for young people. Adult Juror Comments: This inspiring story of three orphan girls takes place in England in the 1920s. The orphans are each brought to Ms. Brown by her paleontologist guardian and she raises them in an impoverished home. In desperate need of money Ms. Brown rents rooms to people who turn out to be good influences to the children. She enrolls the girls into a performance school where the girls subsequently discover and pursue their dreams. Their dreams are to become a pilot, a ballerina, and a Hollywood movie star. The girls sacrifice for each other so each can pursue her dream.
Age: 8-18
DVD. 85 min.; $24.98
Feature Film from Koch Vision.
Captain Jon Adventure - Sharks: Knights of the Sea
In his most incredible adventure yet, Captain Jon takes us around the world to meet three sharks: the Lemon Shark, the Tiger Shark and the Great White Shark. Find out why these creatures are called the "Knights of the Sea." Adult Juror Comments: Like Captain Jon's other videos, this one is excellent. Great visuals, great audio, great pace. It is an exciting presentation to watch and learn from. "I would love to watch this with a child because of the information presented." "I like how the three sharks are contrasted and how they named the sharks they were studying. It makes it more personal." The information concerning the behaviors of the different sharks is very suitable for the target age group. The background music is impressive and very suitable to the show, it adds to the action and suspense. This show definitely adds to your awareness level about sharks and why it's important to protect them. Superb explanations. Sharks are animals that children seldom see and when they do, the sharks are in an aquarium someplace. The real footage is excellent and shows the sharks in their natural habitat. One great thing about this show is how it gives dispels some of the fearful sensationalism that some media has used to portray sharks. Kid Juror Comments: Kids loved it! "It has my favorite animal in it and had lots of scientific facts." For some reason, kids seem to have an insatiable hunger for information about sharks. "I liked seeing and learning about the sharks." "I liked seeing the people swim with the sharks." They all said they would watch it again. One kid said, "Everyone likes sharks even though they are bad." But their ideas changed after they watched the show and they all commented about how they learned about why we need to protect sharks. They loved the underwater scenes of the sharks, especially the night shots. One group said, "We didn't relate to the Captain and his helpers because we are not old enough to do that stuff. They reminded us of Indiana Jones or other adventure people." "We loved it. We loved seeing real sharks."
Age: 5-13
34 min.
Independent Feature from Status Productions.
Fat Albert's Halloween Special
Rudy and his new friend Devery plan to spend Halloween playing practical jokes on the elderly. They both take aim on Mrs. Bakewell, an old widow living in a spooky house by the graveyard. But the kids get the ultimate scare when two of them don't return from "trick or treating"! Did Mrs. Bakewell have something to do with their mysterious disappearance?
Age: 8-18
65 min.
Short from Genius Products.
Jack London's Call of the Wild: Foxfire
Based on the classic novel by Jack London, "Call of the Wild: Foxfire" is the second volume of stories from the beloved "Animal Planet" series. They are about a 15-year-old boy who lives in an Alaska mining town, whose life is changed forever when he encounters a heroic and powerful dog named Buck. They provide that rare breed of adventure story that both parents and kids can enjoy together.
Age: 8-14
120 min.
Series from Allumination Film Works.
Jane Goodall's When Animals Talk
Just like any pet owner, Jane Goodall believes that all animals can talk - it's just that we don't always understand what they're saying. When Animals Talk recounts the amazing stories of animals that have changed the lives of the people they've touched. We witness how animals can learn our language and find unique human-animal partnerships that make the world a better place. We also will discover how we humans can learn the languages of animals through science. We will listen in on the "conversations" that can take place between animals and humans, and the amazing results that these mutual comprehensions can yield. Dr. Goodall's message is that communicating with animals brings humankind closer to another world, and that such liaisons can bring about unexpected benefits to both.
Age: 8-18
90 min.
Feature Film from Genius Products.
Kids+Money
"Kids+Money" is a conversation with 12 diverse Los Angeles teens about how money affects their lives - their social status, their relationship with friends and family members, their sense of self. The film reveals the way a culture of consumerism shapes kids' values and identify. Winner of Shorts Audience Award at AFI Fest, Best Documentary, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Gold Plaque, Hugo Television Awards.
Age: 12-18
32 min.
Independent Short from Lauren Greenfield Photography. <<208207>>
When I Find the Ocean
A little girl leaves home with her pet dog and rabbit to escape abuse. She sets out to find the ocean in the hopes of feeling closer to her father who lost his life at sea. Adult Juror Comments: This film holds you in suspense continually, with the panther's danger, the poacher, etc. It touches on some sensitive topics such as child abuse and racism but handles them in a very sensitive manner. For instance, the racism of the 1960s in the geographical area of Alabama was real historically speaking, and the child abuse is, unfortunately realistic. Clearly the little girl is portrayed as a victim. Although these issues are sensitive, they are part of reality for some, and young teen viewers should be aware and have thoughts about how to respond to a situation like this, should it occur in their own lives or among their peers. The storyline holds your attention, and you admire how this young girl learns how to overcome obstacles. This first-time filmmaker, from Alabama, has done justice to her home state by including some beautiful footage. Kid Juror Comments: Kids enjoyed this. "It was good, although there were some scary parts, like when it looked like the panther was going to eat Lily." "It makes me think about what I would do if something like this happened to me." "The mom's boyfriend freaked me out." "The discrimination was bad, but the main characters weren't prejudiced." "I liked the clouds part - when she heard her father's voice." "It was clever to have her want to see the ocean since her father died at sea." "Joey and the rabbit were important since they were her friends." "I want to be sure I don't hang around kids who are prejudiced." Favorite part: "When Lily got to the ocean with the others to see it."
Age: 13-18
DVD. 104 min.
Independent Feature from Monterey Media. |
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