Thunder and the House of Magic is a fun and humorous tale of one sweet little kitten. After being abandoned on the street by his family, the kitten does not know where to turn or what to do. He knows nothing of life on the street. Then he wanders into an old Victorian house where he eventually finds a new home and family.

The house is owned by Lawrence, an old magician who lives there with his rabbit named Jack and his mouse named Maggie. Lawrence names the kitten Thunder and makes him part of the family. Jack and Maggie have other ideas. They don’t want an interloper in the house and do everything they can to get him to leave, including threatening the poor little fellow.

Not only does Lawrence live with the two animals and a pair of lovebirds, but there are others in the family as well. He is a great magician and has several inanimate objects, which, well, are not inanimate any more. There is a gumball machine, a light bulb, a toy ballerina, a phone, a drum-playing monkey toy, a camera and many others that have been given life and feelings and the ability to move around. It’s these enchanted objects that create the fun of the film, while little Thunder tries his best to become part of the family and part of Lawrence’s magic act.

Due to an unfortunate accident, Lawrence winds up in the hospital and his nephew Daniel schemes to take control of his uncle’s possessions and life. Daniel gets power of attorney and puts the mansion up for sale while Lawrence is laid up in the hospital, unable to do anything for himself. But back at the house the rest of the “family” pulls together to keep prospective buyers from taking their home.

Whenever a buyer gets into the house, the objects “haunt” it and eventually no one wants to buy it. With weird things happening inside, who would want to buy a house like that? It’s up to Thunder and the gang to keep others out until Lawrence is well enough to come home. But Daniel’s evil ways put the entire family in danger.

It’s Thunder to the rescue, again and again, proving he is not only smart and reliable, but also part of the family. He loves everyone in the house and won’t let anyone hurt any of them.

With the gizmos and gadgets, as well as the animals, this is a cute and clever animated movie for the entire family. The magic inside the house is matched by the heartening story of this one little kitten who risks everything for his new family. Thunder is an endearing character.

The bonus features include several “making of” featurettes about the story and the animation.
Thunder and the House of Magic is not rated but it is for all ages. It does contain some mild cartoon violence.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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Rock Hudson stars in the 1978 film Avalanche. This was one of Hudson’s last feature films. He passed away in 1985.

Avalanche joined the ranks of the disaster films of the decade, among them are The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Towering Inferno (1974), Airport (1970), and Earthquake (1974).

In Avalanche, Hudson plays David Shelby, a New York developer who transforms a quiet Colorado mountain into a stunning winter wonderland. But he does so without any thought to what his actions might do to upset Mother Nature. The film takes place over a few days when sports figures and high-powered folks gather at the resort for the grand opening.

Mia Farrow co-stars as Shelby’s ex-wife with whom he desperately wants to reunite. Robert Forster is Nick Thorne, a man in tune with the mountain who warns Shelby of his reckless behavior.

The guests include plenty of flawed characters, and they’re all looking for a good time either on the slopes, the ice rink, or in the bar or, most importantly, the bedroom.

When an avalanche (I’m not giving away the plot…just read the title of the film!) buries the entire resort, it is a fight for survival to find anyone left alive.

The film relies on special effects, which are really quite amateurish by today’s standards. The falling snow is definitely fake and the avalanche itself is not what today’s movie goers expect. It’s pretty evident that Styrofoam was used to make the chunks of snow. Effects have come a long way since this film was produced, but at the time this is what audiences were used to.

The movie is hokey, to say the least. And the acting and effects are not top notch, by any means. Besides being a story about flawed people, it is a film about how people and their greed overtake common sense and the need to care for the land instead of using it for personal gain.

On this new Blu-ray edition, producer Roger Corman discusses how the film was made on a limited budget and how the television rights for it were bought even before the movie was filmed. He also discusses how the effects were disappointing and the avalanche snow looks blue, to his chagrin.

There is something interesting about watching this edition because it reminds us of how movies were produced on limited budgets decades ago. Today this movie would cost over ten times as much to make as it did in 1978. And it would probably be better. Nevertheless, at the time it entertained movie audiences.

I remember going to the theater when it was released and thinking it was a horrible movie, yet there was something about it that stuck in my mind and I really wanted to see the new Blu-ray edition. The movie hasn’t gotten better over time. But I am glad I saw it on Blu-ray. For a not-so-good movie, it’s fun (and funny) to watch, and the interview with Roger Corman puts it all into perspective.
Avalanche is rated PG. There are scenes of disaster, sex and nudity.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook