Frosty the Snowman (1969)

Frosty the Snowman (1969)

On the day right before Christmas, the children build a snowman named Frosty. They find a magical hat and put it on his head and he comes alive. But when he starts to melt, the children realize that they need to get Frosty to the North Pole where it’s always snowy and cold. All along, the magician who lost the hat is trying to get it back when he realizes that it really is magical. Such a fun Christmas romp!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDNcJL90Y9A

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

He wrote our most enduring fantasy world, Middle Earth, but that is not all the master wrote. While his children were growing up, Tolkien also wrote a collection of letters, one a year, from Father Christmas. These letters acknowledged the letters that the children wrote, but also told stories about what was going on at the North Pole accompanied by illustrations. The letters are fun and whimsical and a must for Christmas and Tolkien fans alike.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014)*

Part of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered Franchise. The stories follow the workers in a Dead Letter Office who try to unite letters that end up there with their missing recipients. This story has the detectives trying to help a little girl who has written a letter to God asking him to heal her mother. These mortals are not capable of miracles, but they help make the Christmas a memorable one all the same. The magic comes in the form of a Christmas angel who appears to help them on their quest. (Although only Oliver discovers the truth about him and only at the very end). This, I feel, is the only magical story in the series, but all of them are fun feel-good mystery shows.  

The Christmas Curse by Barbara Metzger

Found in the collection Regency Christmas Spirits, “The Christmas Curse” by Barbara Metzger is one of my favorite Christmas stories. It tells the story of two generations of the same family, Sir Olnic and Lady Edryth and their descendent Nick. Centuries ago, Olnic lost Edryth’s wedding ring in a duel with his neighbor. This cursed them both to remain as ghosts in the family manor until the ring appeared on the finger of another family bride. When the female descendent of the man Olnic dueled with, the ghostly knight and his lady are unsure if they want this girl to break the curse or not.

Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986)

Smoky Mountain Christmas is one of my all time favorite Christmas movies. It tells the story of Lorna Davis (played by Dolly Parton) a country music star sick and tired of the “fame scene”. So for the holidays she runs away to the Smoky Mountains of her childhood. On reaching her destination (the cabin belonging to her childhood friend Mary Lou) she finds that the cabin is already occupied by seven orphans that have run away from the local children’s home. There’s an evil witch, intent on killing Lorna because she has caught the eye of the local sheriff and a hero in Mountain Dan who keeps watch over everyone. There’s also the crazy tabloid reporter that is trying to get the scoop on the disappearance of Lorna Davis. This movie also has some of the best original Christmas music I have ever heard. Ms. Parton, I would pay good money for a CD with some of this music on it! It sometimes shows up on the Country Music Channel this time of year, so keep your eyes peeled!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-kOjlIFJK4&list=PLZeM6nlJE1qWX7kADSkXLaax7pJP7U8n6&index=1

King Arthur

Although the story of King Arthur may have originated from a real person, the story over the years has taken a life of its own. We all know the story. Boy meets up with crazy old man, pulls magic sword out of rock and becomes King of all England. Goes off to find Holy Grail while his wife cheats on him with his best knight. Gets mortally wounded by his illegitimate son. Is taken off to a magical land where he will sleep until “England needs him again.”

The Sword in the Stone by TH White

This original story tells how Arthur, or Wart as he was known at this time, meets up with the wizard Merlin. It tells of his early education and the pulling of the sword from the stone that proves that Wart is in truth King Arthur. This is actually my favorite part of the legend and I enjoyed reading the inspiration for one of my favorite Disney Movies.

The Sword in the Stone (1963)

This Disney film was the first adaptation of the Arthurian legend I ever saw. It tells the story told by TH White about the boy Wart and the wizard Merlin. One thing I liked in the book over the movie is that in the movie Kai is a bit of a jerk where he’s nicer in the book.

The Squire’s Tale by Gerald Morris

The first of the Squire’s Tales, a different take on the Arthur stories. This one tells the story of Terrance, squire to Sir Gawain. Terrance is an orphan, told by his master to accompany Sir Gawain as his squire. Since Terrance was not expecting to go anywhere, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but proves invaluable on the quest to find the loathly lady that interrupted Arthur’s wedding feast, especially when a plot is discovered against the king.

Merlin (1998)

This story concentrates mostly on the wizard Merlin. It shows how he was born of magic when Queen Mab cast a spell on his mother. Mab wants him to help her reestablish magic in the world, but when Mab kills Merlin’s mother, this causes Merlin to rebel and actively encourage people that will oppose her. Arthur comes in the latter part of the story and is essential to the plot, but not the only one.

The Lost Years of Merlin by TA Barron

Another idea of the origins of Merlin, this is the first of TA Barron’s books. These stories take place years before the wizard ever meets Arthur explaining how Merlin was born in Faerie. The source of his magic is his Faerie blood. When Merlin travels back to this place of his birth he learns a lot about his heritage and who he really is.

Merlin (2008-2013)

In this version, Merlin is actually the same age as Arthur. He is a boy of extraordinary magical talents, but hides them due to Uther Pendragon outlawing all magic. He has been told that his destiny is to help Arthur to establish Albion and the episodes consist him trying to aid Arthur in his endeavors without revealing his magic. Over time Arthur comes to appreciate him and rely on him in times of emergency.

The Third Magic by Welwyn Wilton Katz

A creative version of the Arthurian legend, it tells the story of Morgan, the descendent of Morgan LeFay. She is pulled out of Earth to the mysterious world of Nym where the First and Second Magics have been fighting for centuries. She meets Ardu another like her, called by the Third Magic. What will become of these strange warriors?

Avalon High (2010)

In this strange version of the Arthurian legend, Allie Pennington starts attending Avalon High only to discover that her classmates, and perhaps she herself, are reincarnations of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Will she allow the legend to play out as before, or will she change the destinies of all involved to provide everyone with a better future?

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

The book on which the Disney Channel Original Movie is based. Disney stayed pretty close to its source material with the small change on who Allie is in the legend. I will tell you no more, just in case you want to read it! In both versions the great reveal is what makes the story worth reading/watching.

Epic (2013)

In the movie Epic, teenager MK moves in with her dad who is obsessed with finding the Leafmen he is convinced live in the forest. When the evil  Mandrake kills the queen of these tiny fairy like creatures, a magic spell shrinks MK to the size of the Leafmen so that she can help save the forest from Mandrake and his minions. The movie is a fun sized movie about learning what is really important in life in a fantastical setting.

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Is there such a category as urban high fantasy? If so I think Written in Red fits in that category. (If not, I am creating it now J). It’s modern day, we have cars and phones and such, but the world our characters inhabit is not our world (Bishop spells America with a “k” to illustrate this). Our main character is Meg, a blood prophet, who has run away from her handlers and into the courtyard. The Courtyard is populated by the creatures of the night that we hear about. Werewolves, vampires and the like. But these Wolves and Vampires are not your cuddly monsters. They are not even pretending to be human and will eat you if you tick them off. I think this is what I loved most about the book. I hate it when characters whine about their fate, but these characters are not human, were never human, and don’t care what the humans think about them. Their interactions with Meg are beautiful and it is a charming look at how several different species can live together. An enjoyable read!

Princess Abigail and the Wonderful Hat

Princess Abigail and the Wonderful Hat was one of my favorite stories growing up. In it the King likes to wear hats instead of crowns. When he promises the hand of his daughter Abigail to whoever can make the most wonderful of hats, Abigail is left with two choices, the creepy little prince or the giant lizard. The giant lizard however is really a prince under an evil spell so everyone lives happily ever after!

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe

Bunnicula is a vampire rabbit that sucks the juice out of vegetables. When he is adopted by the Monroes, their cat, Chester, convinced of this vampire nature attempts to kill Bunnicula in order to save his family. Their dog, Harold is our narrator. He is unconvinced that Bunnicula is a vampire and tries to talk Chester out of his madness. The books are fun and light for the youngest readers. There are several other books in the series as well. 

Forever Knight (1992-1996)

Nicholas Knight is an 800 year old vampire that is quite frankly sick of the lifestyle. During the course of the show he seeks a “cure” for his condition and works as a cop on the night shift of the Toronto Police Department seeking redemption. The mysteries are fun and interesting along with Nick’s constant battle with his vampire nature. I can forgive his whining a little because he is 800 years old and just sick of life. Some of his older flashbacks show that for many years he embraced his immortality and it’s only in the past 100 years that he has gotten tired of it. One of the running gags in the first season is his work partner, Don’s, insistence that Nick doesn’t know what it’s like to live with an addiction (Don is trying to quit smoking). Whenever Don says that, the look on Nick’s face tells the truth. He has been living with an addiction, for 800 years! There’s other times when you meet his ex, the vampire that introduced Nick to Lacroix, the vampire that “turned” Nick. They still get on well, and Nick will often go to her bar to talk to her. If you like mysteries and vampires I strongly suggest this show.  

Twilight

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Twilight is your typical teenage paranormal romance. Angsty teenagers, one being a vampire that never really grew up because he “died” so young, and one a mortal. The whole let me get into your room and watch you while you sleep is a little stalker behavior, but girls have always been drawn to that brooding, dangerous hero. Just look at Heathcliff and Mr. Rochester. The book follows the life of Bella Swann who has moved to Forks, Washington to live with her dad. Unbeknownst to her, a family of vampires also lives in the area. She falls in love with the mysterious Edward and the story moves from there. One benefit is that Forks has since become a tourist destination, when no one even knew the place existed before hand. The book is mindless and you get exactly what you expect from it.

Twilight (2008)

The movie follows the book pretty closely. I do not think Kristen Stewart is that great of an actress, but she played this part well. The wooden brooding female is exactly what the part required. Robert Pattison looked like he was constipated the entire time, but I think that was just him trying too hard to mimic an American accent. Hey England is also foggy and rainy. Couldn’t you have spent some time there as well? You get what you pay for in this movie, and if you liked the book you will probably like the movie too.

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Interview with the Vampire is based on the book by Ann Rice of the same name. I have not read the book at this time, so this will just be about the movie. The story revolves around Louis, played by Brad Pitt, Lestat, played by Tom Cruise, and Claudia played by a young Kirsten Dunst. Louis is telling the story of his life to Malloy, a reporter, thus the title of the movie. Louis is full of remorse and angst about his role as a vampire and whines the entire time. He is really quite annoying. My favorite characters were Claudia and Lestat. They knew they were vampires and didn’t care about those around them. This might sound horrible, but that’s kind of how I like my vampires. I don’t like the whiny vampires that go on and on about how horrible it is to be undead. I like the ones that take control of their destiny and accept their fate. Whether they choose to be good or bad doesn’t matter to me as long as they aren’t whining. In fact, I feel that way about any character… But if you’re looking for a good vampire movie for the season I would suggest this one.

Dracula

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula was written in 1897 and was the first introduction to this iconic character. It tells the story of Jonathan and Mina Harker, Abraham Van Helsing and others that help defeat the evil Dracula, the king of vampires, and kill him, sending him to hell where he rightly belongs. It is told in a series of letters and diary entries giving unique looks into the mind of these characters. It is a good story and well written.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Starring Gary Oldman in the title role this shows Dracula in a more sympathetic light as his quest to possess the lovely Mina is because she is the reincarnation of his lost love instead of just to spite the others.  In this version you actually feel sorry for Dracula and notice that he is not as evil as he is in the book.

Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995).

So it is Mel Brooks. Need I say anything more about the hilarity of this movie? It is the story as told in the book, but with a twist that only Brooks can give us. Leslie Nielsen gives a gifted performance as the title vampire.

An Old Friend of the Family by Fred Saberhagen*

In this version, Dracula is certainly the good guy. But what I love about it is that he doesn’t apologize for being Dracula. He takes an eye for an eye. In this version, the granddaughter of Mina Harker is herself a grandmother. When someone, or something, starts terrorizing her family, she remembers that Grandma Mina once told her that if she was ever at the uttermost end of need, she could summon to herself s protector unlike any other. Dracula does come to the family’s aid, but to the villains responsible that was their purpose all along. Will Dracula survive the encounter?

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

So there is a sequel to this movie, but it isn’t as good as the original. In this version, Dracula has taken his daughter to a remote corner of Transylvania where he has built a hotel for other Halloween creatures where they can be safe from the humans that want to kill them. But when a lone human stumbles across their hideout, how will Dracula react. Especially when his daughter starts to fall in love with him?

Love at First Bite (1979)

George Hamilton gives us a hilarious Dracula adaptation. In this version, Dracula’s castle has been claimed by the Soviet Union, forcing Dracula to immigrate to America. There he meets Cindy Sondheim, the latest incarnation of his lost love. Dracula then sets out to win her love anew and show her a good time. One of my favorite adaptations!

Van Helsing (2004)

Hugh Jackman plays the title character. An ordained monster hunter who is sent to Transylvania to save an ancient family and stop Dracula from an evil plan involving Frankenstein’s creature and a werewolf. Van Helsing himself seems to be immortal, remembering things long past, but not remembering his own origins. Dracula knows him though and calls him by name. It makes you wonder who Van Helsing actually is. That could be an interesting take on this character arc.

The Luck of the Irish (2001)

The Luck of the Irish is another Disney Channel original movie from my childhood. It tells the story of Kyle Johnson who doesn’t know anything about his heritage or where he came from. In fact he doesn’t even know he’s Irish until his mother ends up shrinking to just a foot tall. It is here that Kyle learns that he is a leprechaun. When Kyle loses his lucky Irish coin to another evil leprechaun, he has to gain it back by participating in various games and sports and stop himself from shrinking down to a pint sized leprechaun of mythical proportions. It is a fun movie and worth  the time if you can find it.

A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart

In A Wee  Murder in My Shop Scotshop owner Peggy Winn travels to Scotland to get some authentic wares for her shop. Upon stumbling on an adorable shop (that mysteriously has disappeared the next day) she walks out with a beautiful antique shawl. The shawl is haunted by the ghost of a 14^th century Scotsman that she calls Dirk. When her ex husband is found dead in her shop. Peggy and Dirk must come together to solve the mystery and keep someone else from being killed. It’s fun to see the contrast between Peggy’s modern sensibilities and Dirk’s 14^th century prejudices. It’s a study in contrasts and a great fun to read.

The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the first in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. As far as I am concerned it is the best one out of the bunch and so it will be the only one I will review on this blog J. Pirates follows the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, a blacksmith’s apprentice, who are striving for a. revenge against his former colleagues in the case of Jack and saving fair lady Elizabeth Swan in the case of Will. The antagonists is Captain Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl. They are cursed by the treasure that they had once sought to find making them basically undead. Orlando Bloom plays Will, and since he was just coming off the Lord of the Rings movies, they made him the star. His performance was eclipsed, however, by Johnny Depp as Jack. Depp plays Jack as this zany, slightly crazy misfit that believes in the right to be a gentleman of fortune. He is great in this role and is the saving grace in the subsequent films.

The movie is based very loosely on the Disney ride Pirates of the Caribbean. Since the movie’s premier, they have stuck Jack in various parts throughout the ride, but a careful view of the movie reveals many scenes that are pre-movie. I challenge you to find them J.

Now just to close. The Hillywood Show’s Tribute to Jack Sparrow because it’s funny!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0PhfbpNu-4

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Gregor the Overlander is the first in the series about Gregor and his little sister Boots. It is by the same author of the Hunger Games, and quite frankly I think it’s better written. It follows the adventures of Gregor when he discovers the mysterious Underland under his apartment building. Here there are talking giant rats, bats, and cockroaches, all which show up as allies in the series. Gregor learns that he is part of a prophecy that Lord Sandwich, the founding father of the tribe of humans in the Underland, wrote centuries ago. The prophecy demands that he go find his lost father that also fell into the Underland many years ago. It is a fun adventure in a strange and magical land that exists below our own.

Krull (1983)

Krull is one of those movies that’s so silly it’s fun. The events take place on a distant planet where magic is a viable part of life. The Beast soon arrives with his more science-fiction/stormtrooper like army and captures the princess because of an ancient prophecy that whoever she marries will rule the world and their son shall rule the galaxy. It is then up to the prince, her true husband, and an unlikely group of companions to journey to the lair of the Beast before it takes off into outer space. Only then can the prophecy proceed as planned and true love will conquer all. I think my favorite character was the wizard, who is only able to transform himself even though he tries to turn others into geese and such. This is also one of the first movies Liam Neeson was ever in. He plays one of the ex-cons that join with the prince.

The Sword by Deborah Chester*

The Sword is the first book in a trilogy called the Sword, the Ring, and the Chalice. The first part of the story is about the king of Nether, Tobezijan, who is betrayed by his half brother and forced to flee. He hides his children away and escapes with the magical chalice and ring that are his birthright. But trying to flee the horrible spirits that his brother has unleashed, Tobezijan gets stuck in the second world where he can only watch what goes on in the first. Dead, but not really.

The second half of the book is about Tobezijan's son, Dain. Dain doesn't know he is a prince. He only knows that he's half elf and that some people hate him for that. Dain must conquer the foes of his own youth and the foes of his father in order to regain his kingdom. The book is certainly good and worth reading.

A Simple Tune by Nissa Warnings

A Simple Tune is another Lord of the Rings fanfiction one shot. It tells the simple story of Sam humming a piece of a tune that he heard at Rivendell. As happens to the best of us, Sam only remembers one or two words. Legalos helps him by singing to him the rest of the lyrics. I argue that you can also begin to see the friendship developing between Legalos and Gimli in this story. Gimli grumbles that the elves only sing about trees, but he starts quietly singing along as they journey to Mordor. It is a fun and engaging glimpse at one of those moments when the fellowship was just marching along.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/442978/1/A-Simple-Tune

Bewitched (1964-1972)

Bewitched is one of those shows I absolutely loved as a child and when I saw it as an adult, I just thought to myself what really was I thinking? Still if it happens to rerun on TV, it’s total mindless entertainment for a lazy, rainy afternoon.

As an adult one of the things that bugged me was Darrin’s insistence that Samantha use no magic whatsoever. That they had to be “normal.” Hey if I was alone with my sweetie and he could wiggle his nose and clean the house, cook dinner, and wash the dishes? Wiggle away, darling. I understand we needed some tension in the story, and Darrin provided that tension. That and Samantha’s relatives showing up to tell her that she shouldn’t have married Darrin in the first place. I think one of the funniest episodes is when Samantha finds a picture of herself from back in the 1600s and she’s trying to keep it from Darrin because she doesn’t want him to know she’s that old.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

I like Shakespeare’s fantasy plays. As far as I’m concerned, they’re the best ones the guy wrote. A Midsummer Night’s Dream tells of the intrigues of the Faerie Court and what happens when foolish mortals stray across their path. Oberon is angry with Titania, so he orders Puck to make her fall in love-for just one night- with a mortal. Puck goes so far as to give this mortal a donkey head so that Titania will be fully humiliated. He also dabs some on the eyes of a couple of the mortals, not realizing the chaos that will presently break forth. But even if he did, I don’t think Robin Goodfellow would have really cared. A great play when done right.

DuckTales (1987-1990)

DuckTales (the original series) is one of my all time favorite cartoons. It tells the story of Scrooge McDuck, a multibillionaire, who is charged with watching his three great-grandnephews: Huey, Duey, and Louie, while their Uncle Donald is out sailing the world. It involves a series of misadventures while various villains try to claim Scrooge’s money for themselves. It is all together a wonderful show and a fun lark for any day!

Eragon

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Eragon is a great first book for any author, especially when you think about the fact that this first book was in fact self-published. It gives hope for all of us writers. We can make a breakout. It tells the story of Eragon, a farm boy who finds a dragon egg and therefore becomes the last of the dragon riders. Of course as is typical with these sorts of novels, Eragon develops a telepathic connection with his dragon, Saphira. There is also an evil king that has to be overcome later on in the series. Although they fight the first battle in this book, this is very much a coming of age novel where our hero starts on the first few steps of his hero quest in order to defeat said evil king.

Eragon (2006)

Many people found fault in this movie adaptation. I happened to watch it before I read the book, so I didn’t have quite the negative reaction as some people, but after reading the book I could see where people objected. The casting as described in the book was off. I also felt that Eragon himself was a lot whinier in the movie than he was in the book. Provided, with everything that is happening to him, he has a good excuse to whine. Still you have a dragon! Stop whining and get on with your epic heroic quest boy! It was fun the first time I watched it, but I don’t think I would ever watch it again unless it was on instant play on Netflix, it was pouring down rain, and I was totally and completely bored.

The Aristocats (1970)

It is a familiar trope of detective stories, “the butler did it.” Sometimes the butler is the antagonist, sometimes it is someone else, but that poor butler is always the first one to be suspected. In Disney’s The Aristocats, that suspicion is well founded. The butler, Edgar, really did do it when he realized that Duchess and her three kittens were destined to get Madame’s fortune instead of himself. As Duchess and her kittens attempt to return to Madame via a sort of Incredible Journey accompanied by that dashing tomcat Thomas O’Malley, Edgar settles in to enjoy his future fortune, but this is a Disney film, so there is only one way this one can end. With our protagonists living happily ever after!

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was written by C.S. Lewis in 1950. It is the first published book in the Chronicles of Narnia, although he did write a prequel later called The Magician’s Nephew. It tells the story of Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy, four children sent to the countryside to get away from the bombs being dropped on London during World War II. While playing a game of hide and sake, Lucy discovers the land of Narnia at the back of the wardrobe. The other children slowly discovers the world and learn that they are prophesized kings and queens destined to defeat the White Witch, the villain of the book. The story is highly allegorical, especially when Edmond betrays his siblings to the White Witch and Aslan, the lion and king of the world, has to save him by giving his own life. It is clearly a nod towards the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. However, the story is also great when you ignore the allegory and just concentrate on the wonder of the book itself. I think this first book is really the best book in the series.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1979)

This is a cartoon version of the story and one of the first versions I ever saw. It sticks pretty close to the original story and has decent animation for the time.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1988)

I recently rewatched this version of my childhood. The acting is good and they stick pretty close to the storyline. I had forgotten how horrible the special effects are though. The more fantastical creatures such as griffins are drawn cartoons, the beavers are clearly people in costumes and Aslan is a huge puppet. However I have always found that movies with poor special effects are sometimes better. They have to rely more on character development.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

The best version by far. The characters are as great as always and the special effects in this new version are pretty cool too. One thing that was interesting about this version is that they show the bombs falling on London so you really understand why the children were sent to total strangers in the first place.

The Swan Princess (1994)

The Swan Princess is based off the ballet Swan Lake. It tells the story of Princess Odette who is captured by Lord Rothbart who wants to marry her so that he can become king. To keep her bound to him, he turns her into a swan, a swan that can only regain her human form when moonlight touches the lake she is confined to. She must lure her betrothed Derek to help her. It is a great movie.

God of the Golden Fleece by Fred Saberhagen

In Fred Saberhagen’s world, mortal men take on “the face” of a god and essentially become that god. In The God of the Golden Fleece, a man that started out as an assassin of Jason and the crew of the Argo loses his memory at the same time he seems to gain the “face” of the god Triton. Although he suffers from some amnesia throughout the entire book, he does remember that his goal now is to protect Jason and the Argo and help him in his quest to obtain the Golden Fleece. It was an interesting take on this ancient story and a fun read. Saberhagen is really quite good at taking classic stories and giving them new twists.

The Thief and the Beanstalk by PW Catanese

The interesting thing about PW Catanese is that he writes sequals to the original fairy tales, not retellings. The Thief and the Beanstalk is the sequal, of course, to Jack and the Beanstalk. It tells the story of Nick who breaks into an old rich man’s house who happens to be named Jack. Rumors state that Jack gained all his wealth from a trip up a magical beanstalk when he was Nick’s age. When Jack catches Nick trying to steal some of his hard earned plunder, Jack gives Nick a choice: be turned over to the authorities or climb the beanstalk himself and see if the giantess that had helped Jack is still alive. But when Jack climbs up the stalk he finds new foes awaiting at the top who want revenge on the folk below for Jack’s long ago deeds. Will Nick be a hero? Or will he die in the land above the beanstalk?

The Thirteenth Year (1999)

The Thirteenth Year was a Disney Channel Original Movie. It tells the story of Cody, a jock swimmer, who starts to develop strange powers when he is in the water. With the help of the class geek, Jess, he finds out that he is a merman and must return to the water in order to survive. This was one of my favorite Disney Channel movies and I watched it every time it came on TV. It is now available on Amazon instant video.