Join Elena and her friends and family in a collection of several celebrations in this new DVD. Elena of Avalor: Celebrations to Remember contains six episodes from the popular Disney Channel series.

In “A Day to Remember” everyone celebrates the lives of their deceased family members. This is especially difficult for Elena’s younger sister Isabel who misses her parents and is depressed about their passing. But it’s Elena who inspires her to remember the good times and keep their memories alive within herself.

Elena discovers she has the power to see ghosts and this helps her to help a family through a tough time. It also allows her to see her parents for a brief time. Even though this is the day of the dead, this Halloween in Avalor is filled with hope for the future.

Another episode, “Navidad,” focuses on the Christmas holiday. Unfortunately, there are several parties planned for the same time so unraveling this sticky situation is not easy but Elena always finds a way.

In “Crystal in the Rough” Isabel attends school for the first time having been “castle-schooled” all her life. She is anxious to meet new friends, but soon discovers her good manners and intelligence are ridiculed by some of the tough kids. To change that, Isabel decides to change herself, but soon discovers that being true to yourself is the most important thing.

There are three other episodes included on this DVD: “King of the Carnival,” “My Fair Naomi,” and “Captain Turner Returns.” A special bonus is an Elena locket included in the box. This gold-tone locket comes with an 18-inch chain. The front of the locket, which measures one inch in length, has an engraved flower. Being a working locket it opens up and on one side is a photo of Elena. The other side is empty so your child can place any picture of herself or her friend or family inside. The lobster-claw clasp is easy to open and close.

Elena and her family and friends have been embraced by young viewers and now several of their stories can be experienced over and over with this delightful new DVD.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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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State Fair has been produced over and over. The story about a farm family that goes to the state fair and finds love, luck, and local fame first appeared in 1933. Rogers and Hammerstein then made the film into a musical in 1945. And in 1962 it was once again reimagined for the new generation of the time. In 1976 the story became a TV movie pilot that never made it to series. The 1962 version is now available on Blu-ray from Twilight Time.

State Fair (1962) has an all-star cast, with Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Alice Faye, Ann-Margret, Tom Ewell, and Pamela Tiffin. This version of the story has a Texas family traveling to Dallas for the biggest state fair in the country. The parents, Melissa and Abel (Faye and Ewell), have specific desires at the fair. Melissa has entered her mincemeat concoction and Abel has his pride boar Blue Boy entered as well. Their son Wayne (Boone) is longing to race his sports car and daughter Margy (Tiffin) is looking for something to lift her out of her doldrums.

Margy meets broadcaster Jerry Dundee (Darin), a ladies man who is smitten with the farm girl. And Wayne meets sophisticated entertainer Emily (Ann-Margret) whose lifestyle is the complete opposite of his but nevertheless he feels she would fit into his life on the farm.

The contests and all the fun of the midway bring plenty of spirit to the story. And the songs by Rogers and Hammerstein create a joyful atmosphere in which all the characters partake and manage to mingle together in this delightful film.

There are additional songs that were added to this version and those that were included in the 1945 film are woven into this story a little differently than they were in the older version, yet they are all memorable and delightful and make this film fun, funny, romantic, and musical.

With the isolated music track viewers get a special bonus on this Blu-ray edition. And there are a couple additional featurettes that give viewers a background into the film and the story that has stood the test of time through four productions.

State Fair is not rated but it is suitable for all ages.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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

John Krasinski narrates the newest DisneyNature film Born in China. This film takes viewers into the wilds of China and introduces them to several animal species that call the country their home: golden snub-nosed monkeys, snow leopards, pandas, and antelopes.

The 2-year-old monkey will steal your heart. He is a little put-off by the attention his baby sister is receiving from his parents so he joins an outcast group of mischievous male monkeys. But family is the most important thing and eventually he comes to that realization. This little fellow is such a sweetheart deep inside.

And the panda mom who is caring for her baby daughter definitely demonstrates maternal love. The bond between mother and daughter is strong, but eventually they do grow up and mom has to let go. It’s a hard thing to do, but once the little girl demonstrates her ability to climb, she’s about ready to go out on her own.

The snow leopard mother is always concerned about her two cubs. She rules the area and knows she is in charge of the rugged land. Her family is close and loving, so when another tougher family comes into the area, the mother knows her cubs will be safer if they leave so they are forced out. It’s a little heartbreaking to see this activity, and eventually (SPOILER ALERT) the mother does die. Keep this in mind when showing this film to viewers.

The Chiru, or antelopes, are an interesting herd. The females leave the males and travel far to give birth and give their babies a good start in life before they all travel back to the males. This takes place over and over again. It’s an interesting activity to watch.

Bonus features on the combo pack add to the amazement of this beautifully filmed movie. They focus on the various teams of filmmakers that are tasked with filming the different animals. Sometimes it takes months of being in the wild before actually finding the animals. No snow leopard cubs have ever been filmed in the wild before this and searching out a family was a difficult task, as was looking for the pandas and the specific monkey behavior they wanted to capture for the film.

This movie is, as mentioned above, beautifully filmed and has a soundtrack to match the wonder of this great adventure. Besides the incredible footage of the animals, the scenery is spectacular. The music video of the ending credit song “Everything Everything” is the final bonus.

Krasinski’s narration adds to the whimsy of some of the animal antics and also imparts some knowledge about the different animals. This is an educational yet also entertaining film.

Born in China is the ninth film from DisneyNature, which, through the Conservation Fund, has made a contribution to World Wildlife Fund to focus efforts that benefit wild pandas and snow leopards. Born in China joins Earth, Crimson Wing, Oceans, Wings of Life, African Cats, Chimpanzee, Bears, and Monkey Kingdom in bringing the Circle of Life to viewers in a beautiful and artful way. It is rated G.

To keep the wonder of this film alive, look for the plush animals to accompany your viewing pleasure.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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