New DVDs: 6/3/08
by Katrina Hayday Wester
Musical Muppets, storytelling spiders, and a curious boy named Cory round out our picks this week.
The Muppet Show — The Complete Third Season , Disney Video, Rated TV-G, $32.99
You may have watched The Muppet Show with your children, and now you can introduce the classic animated variety show to your grandchildren. The Muppet Show’s third season features 24 episodes, featuring the iconic Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and famous guest celebrities, including Raquel Welch, Sylvester Stallone, and Danny Kaye, among others. With so many episodes, there’s something for everyone: The highlights are Gilda Radner doing “A Modern Major General,” Harry Belafonte singing “Day-O,” and Liberace with Gonzo and his chickens. The series is a great way to get your grandchildren to appreciate pre-Pixar, low-tech animation. The 60-minute documentary called The Muppets on Puppets is not to be missed.
Cory in the House — Newt & Improved Edition , Walt Disney Video, Rated G, $16.99
For those of you unfamiliar, Cory in the House is a Disney Channel show that features a boy named Cory (Kyle Massey) and his father (Rondell Sheridan) who works as the White House chef. Most of the episodes revolve around Cory’s laughable antics as he makes the White House his playground. This DVD features four episodes, "The Presidential Seal," "Through the Roof," "Lip Service," and "Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding." Children[?] find Cory endlessly entertaining, and they will certainly enjoy these episodes that deal with his pal, Newt, getting his first kiss, Cory almost destroying the Presidential Seal, and Cory and Newt finding the perfect spot in which to write a new song. Longtime and brand-new fans alike are sure to laugh out loud.
Diary of a Spider... and More Cute Critter Stories , Scholastic Storybook Adventures, New Video Group, Not Rated, $12.99
Diary of a Spider is indeed a cute story about a spider whose best friend is a fly. The spider celebrates Grandparent's Day, talks about what scares him, and what he is able to scare. The episode “Norman the Doorman” is about a mouse who works as a guard in the Art Museum and manages to win an award for creating an original piece of art. “Roberto” tells of a termite who dreams about building buildings (instead of eating them). “The Mysterious Tadpole” is given a gift that becomes way too big for his current habitat. The stories are sweet and wonderfully illustrated — an engaging alternative to the overexposed Barneys and Bob the Builders of children’s entertainment.
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