Granny Ranny's Coming Attractions

After 11 years, the wait is finally over for fans of Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story franchise with the release of Toy Story 3. 

A panel of America’s foremost children’s authors, illustrators and content experts will serve as final judges in the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, a national-local contest designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning.  The Contest, sponsored by PBS KIDS GO! and WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto, encourages children in grades K-3 in communities across the country to celebrate the power of creating stories and illustrations by submitting their original work.
 
Eighty-seven (87) public television stations participated in this year’s contest, which generated over 25,000 submissions.  The national Contest winners are expected to be named in July 2010. The winning stories will be posted on the Contest Web site at ReadyToLearnReading.org , alongside a message from singer-songwriter and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks about the influence of writing in her life. Other new site features allow kids to create “Story Mashups,” put together “Story Stuff Pages,” vote for their favorite stories, and use a customized search tool to explore over 1,100 kid-created stories.
 
The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is a part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a national initiative which uses the power of public media to build the reading skills of children ages two to eight, with an emphasis on children from low-income families. The effort is funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, part of a cooperative agreement with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), PBS and The Ready To Learn Partnership. 

Presented by AFI Silverscreen Education, as a special feature of the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs International Documentary Conference, SchoolDocs is an innovative strand of workshops, panel discussions and films investigating cutting edge practices in visual education directed to the needs of 21st century educators and students.

Activities:

• 3 days of engaging discussions
  Exposure to new technologies
  New pedagogical techniques with more than a dozen panels and hands on workshops
  one on one networking with documentary filmmakers
  An examination of race and representation in film
  Critical literacy: making connections with film
  Using filmmaking to help students understand subtext
  Turning curriculum into dynamic student movies
  Best practices and fair use for education
  Web resources for educators
  Stay ahead of the new technology for education

For more info go to www.silverdocs.com

Traveling just got easier with this travel kit from Scholastic – The Wheels on the Bus…and More Musical Stories Sing Along Travel Kit. In addition to two high-quality DVDs, the kit also comes with a CD of favorite songs and a 34-page activity booklet with crayons. Sing along to The Wheels on the Bus and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and learn about the importance of music in our world. Images in classic stories such as This Land is your Land, Frog Went A-Courtin’ and Giraffe’s Can’t Dance come to life through exquisite animation with gentle narration. Perfect for the preschool audience, these DVDs will get everyone singing along in the house or on the road. KIDS FIRST! Child Juror Comments: “This is good because it includes songs I was familiar with and new songs that I liked. The pictures look like a book. I like that. I think my friends would like it because they like to sing. My favorite part was in Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! when the roly poly curled up into a ball, and the spider tried to get in, but he couldn’t.” The DVDs encouraged children to ask questions such as the one child asked about what daddy long legs eat. They wanted to watch the DVDs again when they were over. DVDs and CD. 132 min.; Ages 2-5.

Never Say Die: “The Goonies” Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary in Historic Astoria, Ore.

Fans Gather from Around the World to Commemorate Cult Classic Movie on Location, June 4-7

Eager to revisit secret caves, treacherous traps and hidden treasure, fans will gather in historic Astoria, Ore., to celebrate the anniversary of the cult classic film “The Goonies” June 4-7, 2010. Over the four-day event, Goonies lovers can retrace the steps of characters in the film by touring filming locations including the famous “Goonies House,” bowl at “Chunk’s Bowling Alley” and more, plus have the chance to mingle with original cast members including Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Joe Pantoliano and Curt Hanson.  

As part of the 25th anniversary festivities, the new Oregon Film Museum will open its doors for the first time. Converted from the old Clatsop County Jail featured in “The Goonies,” the museum is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the art and legacy of Oregon films and film-making.  One of the many highlights is a special exhibit in the actual jail cell from, “The Goonies,” as well as stories, mementos and props from famous movies made in Astoria and across Oregon, such as “Kindergarten Cop,” “Animal House,” “Twilight” and more.

Original cast members and other celebrities will be on-hand to mark the occasion, including:

·         Corey Feldman, who played “Mouth,” plus his band Truth Movement
·         Jeff Cohen, the hilarious and beloved “Chunk”
·         Joe Pantoliano, who appeared as the villainous “Francis Fratelli”
·         Curt Hanson, who portrayed “Mr. Perkins,” the richest man in Astoria
·         The alternative band The Ataris, whose album “So Long, Astoria” was inspired by a trip to visit Goonies sites

“The Goonies” 25th Anniversary

Friday – Monday, June 4 – 7, 2010

Weekend events include:

·         Bus tours of filming sites, including an interior tour of the Goonies House
·         Red carpet event and showing of “The Goonies” and a new documentary about the film at the Liberty Theater on Friday, plus additional movie showings throughout the weekend at other local theaters
·         Stars from the movie signing autographs, along with local residents sharing memories from being on set
·         An ‘80s night out on Friday in downtown Astoria with costume contests, music, bowling at “Chunk’s Bowling Alley” and more
·         A “Goonies” themed concert on Saturday at Warren Field featuring Corey Feldman’s band, Truth Movement, the alternative band The Ataris, bluegrass band The Whiskey Rebellion and the pop-punk band Troy’s Bucket
·         Hand-crafted “Goonies” beers created by local breweries
·         A “Truffle Shuffle” 5k Run/Walk on Monday
·         The new Oregon Film Museum grand opening and “Goonies” exhibit
·         An Ecola Park picnic with fans and cast members in nearby Cannon Beach

Visit http://www.GooniesAnniversary.com for complete event details. Official memorabilia, including t-shirts, hats, glassware, collectible doubloons and more, will be available at the event headquarters affectionately named The Goon Docks, located at 15th and Marine Dr. in Astoria.

Invictus. He was imprisoned 27 years for his heroic fight against apartheid. So what does Nelson Mandela do after he is elected president of South Africa? He rejects revenge, forgives his oppressors and finds hope of national unity in an unlikely place: the rugby field. Clint Eastwood (the National Board of Review’s 2009 Best Director choice) powerfully directs an uplifting film about a team and a people inspired to greatness. In a performance that won him NBR’s Best Actor Award and an Oscar nomination, Morgan Freeman (Best Actor Oscar nominee) portrays Mandela, who asks the national rugby team captain (Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee Matt Damon) and his underdog squad to do the impossible and win the World Cup. One team, one country. The universal language of sports has never spoken so thrillingly as in Eastwood’s “Invictus.” DVD. 133 min.; Recommended for ages 5-18.