We really love infographics, especially smart, savvy ones that pay homage to all my favorite pop culture references and movies. I’ve collected twelve of the coolest movie related infographics on the Web ranging from movie monsters to how to react in case of a Aliens versus Predator scenario. Seriously, don’t you want to be prepared when the alien onslaught begins?!

Movie Monsters!

Have you ever wondered how gigantic those Movie Monsters actually are? Do you spend your days constantly wondering if Mr. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man could take Megatron in a fight to the death? What about a Rancor versus Godzilla? Fear not, the first infographic comes from GeekStir, a movie-related blog that took on monsters ranging from King Kong to Clover and stacked them up to a size comparison infographic. Click the picture for a full size view:

Who loves a good Trilogy?

Dan Meth, over at the creatively named danmeth.com, really likes trilogies. So much so that he decided to rank twenty-one movie trilogies watched over the years ranging from Lord of the Rings to Rambo. His sentiments possibly mirror many of our own about the quality of said trilogies. Take a look:

Trapped in Puppy Limbo

If you have been watching repeats of Inception on TNT recently, you are probably wondering what the hell is going on in that movie. I’m convinced all the characters are just part of an extremely complex dream that’s going on inside the head of this puppy. That definitely makes the most sense to me, but if you don’t buy into the dreaming puppy theory, here’s an infographic to illustrate all the incepty inceptions.

To Infinity and Beyond!

Now, who doesn’t love at least one Pixar movie? I bet you would be hard pressed to name a Pixar flick that doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, even just a little bit. Seriously, if you didn’t shed a single tear during the first twenty minutes of Up, you are probably a monster. Juan Pablo Bravo (blog here) has taken the majority of Pixar created characters and popped them into a GIANT size comparison chart spread over the years.  Warning, when you click here for this picture, get ready to scroll to the left and right:

Solo packed everything but The Force

Movie quotes should roll off the tongue for any movie-addicted film geek, so why not put them in infographic form? That’s exactly what FlowingData thought as well. Check out quotes from great movies such as Casablanca, Sudden Impact and The Godfather:

Quite Possibly the Greatest Story Ever Told

I like to call this the greatest infographic that you will ever see about a movie that you will likely never see, MegaShark Versus Giant Octopus.  (YouTube link to the ludicrous scene that this is based on). This infographic comes from Stephen Taubmann (website here) and is absolutely stunning.  Click the picture below to see the full infographic in PDF form:

It’s a Mobius Strip, I tell ya!

Time travel can be confusing, especially when you get sent back in time to get killed by a younger version of yourself. If you watched Looper and couldn’t figure out what happened by the time the credits rolled, this is the infographic for you. The crew at film.com came up with a handy image to help you understand all those crazy loops!

Outta Time!

Have you ever wondered how movie timelines would look if they overlapped with each other?  Even more thought-provoking, what happens if Marty McFly meets the crew from Star Trek and they battle it out with a Terminator?!  Don’t fret, the folks at InformationisBeautiful sorted it out for you.  Click the picture below to see a larger version:

Delicious Brains

Quick, what do you do when you get attacked by zombies?! Too late, while you were trying to remember the rules of Zombieland, a walker just took a bite out of your neck. If only you had a handy flowchart to see how long you could live before the Zombie Apocalypse finally catches up with you. Gameinformer is here to help:

Take the Green Line to North by Northwest

Movie genres collide in this handy guide designed after a typical subway metro map in a place like New York City. Take the greatest movies of all time, plot them out by genre and this creation by Vokaster.com is the result.  It’s too big to link to the picture, so check it out by clicking here.

Where’s Schwarzenegger when you need him?

Taking another pass at the infographic designs of Stephen Taubmann, he takes on Alien Vs. Predator this time. This helpful guide will tell you which species will come out on top after the s@%t hits the fan. Click here to find out who lives and who dies:

MegaMind – The Indie Film Version

Let’s assume for a moment that you don’t actually enjoy the complex and thought-provoking work of the highly esteemed film director, Mr. Michael Bay. I bet you are one of those mass market film geeks that’s into the Criterion collection, Woody Allen and every Indie film you can get your hands on. Pffft! Typical sellout… Anyway, here’s what your head looks like, buddy!

Twelve Amazing Movie Infographics

If you haven’t checked out the fantastic drawings of Los Angeles illustrator Jeff Victor, you are in for a real treat! Over the past year, Victor has been illustrating specific actors and actresses over the years in their most famous roles. For instance, Bill Murray’s illustration panel includes his character from Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Groundhog’s Day, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Zombieland.

Other famous actors and actresses illustrated in his work so far include Tim Curry, Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, Tom Hanks, Uma Thurman, Nick Cage, Rick Moranis, Johnny Depp, Sigourney Weaver, Natalie Portman, Kurt Russell and Jim Carrey. He’s also illustrated popular characters like Batman over the decades and Biff Tannen from the Back to the Future series.

You can even purchase prints of the Actor Evolution series as well as more popular pop culture inspired illustrations at Victor’s Big Cartel storefront here. Check out some of our favorite illustrations below:

Batman

Biff Tannen (Back to the Future)

Bill Murray

Charlize Theron

Gary Oldman

Jack Nicholson

Jim Carrey

Johnny Depp

Kurt Russell

Natalie Portman

Nicholas Cage

Rick Moranis

Sigourney Weaver

Tim Curry

Tom Hanks

Uma Thurman

16 Amazing Actor Evolution Illustrations

Easily some of the most amazing work with LEGO figures on the Web, Alex Eylar’s portfolio of LEGO character poses, designs and builds is absolutely magnificent. Eylar creates everything from famous movie scenes to entire sets inspired by television, video games and everything else in between.

If you want to see more of his brilliant work, take a look at his Flickr account here. However, you should also check out some of our favorite pics of his work with movie scenes below.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

The Addams Family

American Beauty

The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski

Billy Elliot

Black Swan

127 Hours

Chinatown

A Clockwork Orange

Die Hard

The Exorcist

The Fighter

The Godfather

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Inception

Inglourious Basterds

The Invisible Man

James Bond Opening

The King’s Speech

Looper

Modern Times

Monsters Inc.

Psycho

Pulp Fiction

Raging Bull

Reservoir Dogs

The Shining

The Silence of the Lambs

2001: A Space Odyssey

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Sucker Punch

True Grit

34 Famous Movie Scenes Captured by LEGOs

So you’ve finally ponied up the money for that big, flat screen HDTV, invested in a surround sound speaker system, and amassed a solid collection of Blu-rays on your shelf — but at what point do you go from being a casual home theater owner to a full-blown, unashamedly proud audiovisual geek? You see, true home theater enthusiasm is about more than just the gear. It’s about an entire frame of mind, complete with a few key quirks, habits, and obsessions. If you’re unsure whether or not you fit the bill, here’s a handy list of 5 major signs that you should look out for.

1. You Have a “Sweet Spot”

Once thought to be only a myth, this term refers to the specific seat in your home theater room where the speakers perfectly align and the TV is perfectly centered. This miraculous spot gives the lucky individual who inhabits it the absolute best listening and viewing position, enhancing the full surround sound experience while eliminating any potential off-angle flaws in your HD display.

If you have one of these sweet spots, and find yourself racing over to seize it like a rabid animal claiming its territory whenever company comes over — then you’re already well on your way to true A/V obsession! Note to girlfriends, boyfriends, wives, and husbands: if your significant other is willing to give up their sweet spot for you, then it really is true love.

2. You Measured Angles

Going along with sign #1, properly setting up a home theater system requires a great level of precision when it comes to speaker placement. Various guidelines call for exact angles, heights, and distances between the speakers and primary listening position, which necessitates tools that go far beyond mere “eye-balling” it.

Basically, if you used any kind of chart, diagram, ruler, protractor, complicated algorithm, mounted laser beam, specially programmed robot, or ancient mystical incantation to help perfectly align your audio equipment, then I think it’s safe to say that you’re a real enthusiast… and possibly a super villain. Now God help anyone who accidentally bumps into something.

3. Light Has Become Your Enemy

It turns out that vampires aren’t the only creatures with a natural aversion to sunlight. In order to mimic the true theater experience, the best way to watch movies is in a completely dark environment. Not only does the lack of light help to immerse the audience in the film, but many TVs are prone to troublesome glare that can make daytime watching a nightmare.

To alleviate this problem, true home theater enthusiasts will go to any lengths to help cut down the light. From installing black-out drapes to enacting diabolical plots to permanently snuff out the sun, there is no real right or wrong strategy as long as it gets the job done. After all, an eternal globe-spanning ice age is but a small price to pay for the perfect movie watching environment. Those with the space and cash can even invest in a dedicated light-proof home theater area, creating the only situation where it’s socially acceptable to trap your guests in a dark, windowless room.

4. You’ve Invested in ISF Calibration

If those initials don’t mean anything to you, then you haven’t quite crossed the barrier into true home theater passion. The Imaging Science Foundation has developed a standardized system to properly calibrate video displays, ensuring the most accurate picture possible through the use of specifically designed test patterns and equipment. Without proper ISF calibration, many home theater owners can gradually grow suspicious of their displays, leading to paranoia and insecurity.

While manufacturer settings often feature high contrast, exaggerated sharpness, and impossibly vibrant colors, all that flash is really nothing more than an eye-straining lie! And since you’ve already bought and committed to your TV, who exactly is your display trying to doll itself up for with that “Vivid” setting anyway?! The first step toward any long lasting relationship is always trust, and until one can fully trust their TV’s picture settings, you might as well be strangers. Real home theater lovers realize this, and choose to alleviate any concerns through ISF calibration. It’s the only way to rest easy at night.

5. You Have Movie Watching Rules… and Consequences

Taking the home theater experience to the final level requires employing the same rules that any actual professional theater chain would — namely no talking or texting during the show. While the casual movie watcher might enjoy a laid back discussion during a film, for the A/V enthusiast, silence and full attention are non-negotiable stipulations.

Some might even go so far as to monitor their home audience like an amateur usher, escorting guests out who don’t follow the rules. In other words, you talk or text during the film — no movie for you!

So, there you have it. If you fit all of the criteria above, congratulations and welcome to the club! You are now officially a home theater enthusiast. If you haven’t experienced all five signs yet, then just give it some time, I’m sure you’ll come around. We’ll be waiting…

5 Signs That You’ve Become a True Home Theater Enthusiast

The value of streaming services for movies and TV has come even more into view over the past year and a half, but something else has, too: physical media doesn’t get weighed down by internet overload, hiccups, or general outages. Sure, this still ends up being a small victory in a period where convenience and connectivity have really flexed their muscles — especially with theatrical new releases – but it’s also been seen on a practical level when there’s just too much surrounding internet activity eating up data to get a good or even functional image. Reliability will always be secondary to the true joy behind physical media, though, and that’s the satisfaction of, in some way or another, having content you like within reach in a library, in a presentation that the owner has selected from other viewing methods.

There’s another benefit to little shiny discs, though: they make awesome gifts.  Whether it’s giving someone a movie they already love or sharing with them something you’ve personally watched – or heard of through word of mouth – that you feel they’d enjoy, it can be a personal thing with lots of thought behind it. Or, it can make for an easy-to-wrap package for under a tree or in a stocking, or to be tossed in the mix of a random exchange, and all that’s required is a player and the removal of some plastic wrap to kick off the show. And in the case of 2021’s still complicated theater and stream service situation, there’s the good chance somebody may’ve missed a particular theatrical film … or just needs a really good classic, or a box of classics, to get lost in.

The guide below mentions over two dozen different 4K and Blu-ray discs that’d make for wonderful presents to give throughout the holiday season. Follow the links to get to product pages, most of which land at Amazon, and check ‘em out sooner rather than later to see if those elusive holiday deals are still going on for certain ones.  

Gifts For Those Eager For Something New From The Theater

Let’s start off with the new releases of 2021 and how superhero movies hit differently. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Target Art Edition, 4K) presented the first real Asian comic-book superhero film, with a lead actor in Simu Lu who trained in several martial-arts styles in the lead-up to Marvel’s well-told hero’s journey.  Elsewhere, The Suicide Squad (Amazon, 4K) gets the DC film universe back on track by enlisting director James Gunn, who reveals that he gets the core of why the squad’s appealing with a hysterical, colorful, and chaotically violent trip with Harley Quinn and the gang to save the world from a … starfish. Then, there’s the live action origin story of Cruella (Amazon, 4K), which harnesses Emma Stone’s charismatic quirks in a meaningful, delightfully gray depiction of a villain’s ascent that, despite being a Disney movie, has the edge of a comic.

Other new movies discovered quality by exploring familiar ideas from different angles. On the heels of John Wick, both Nobody (Amazon, 4K) and Pig (Amazon, Blu-ray) take on the idea of a retired or reserved man of danger whose fighting spirit is reawakened by tense circumstances: home invasion in one, theft of a pet in another. Nobody gets Bob Odenkirk involved with vigorous action entertainment, while Pig taps into heavy drama involving Nic Cage about rediscovering oneself. Similarly, Free Guy (Amazon, 4K) takes the idea behind The Truman Show and brings it to the landscape of video games, where a non-playable character living in an MMO discovers the truth of his reality and pushes to break the illusion. Then, there’s A Quiet Place Part 2 (Amazon, 4K), John Krasinski’s horror sequel which tries to capture the same disquieting terror beyond a family’s isolated home.

Gifts For Those Who Enjoy Classics In New, Clear 4K Light

This year also marked the long-awaited arrival of The Criterion Collection to the 4K arena, and with that milestone also came the announcement of perhaps the company’s most monumental release: that of Citizen Kane (Amazon), often considered – and frequently debated – as being the greatest movie ever made. Regardless of how one feels about where Orson Welles’ grand drama about the rise and twisted perseverance of a newspaper tycoon falls on the “best of” list, it still makes for a brilliant gift for any film lover, as they’ll eventually want to revisit it alongside Criterion’s glorious supplemental package.  This grand entrance into 4K media for Criterion also quietly marks the introduction of David Lynch’s body of work into the ultra-HD format, as Mulholland Drive (Amazon) also gets a new scan and presentation.

Interestingly, one movie that probably comes up in most conversations about the greatest movies ever made also received a new 4K transfer presentation from Warner Brothers: A Clockwork Orange (Amazon). Like Stanley Kubrick’s other films found in a 3-movie 4K boxset from WB, it’s a worthwhile visual upgrade for a film that’s both increasingly tough to watch and absorbing to watch.  Speaking of upgrades, Shout Factory delivered one of the first substantive 4K-to-4K upgrades with John Carpenter’s seminal classic Halloween (Amazon), finally coming together in a not-so-debatably definitive presentation alongside individual releases for the rest of the franchise. Also, for those Wes Craven and ‘90s cinema fans, meta-slasher classic Scream (Amazon) has also finally been given the visual treatment it deserves with a fine new transfer from Paramount, just in time for the new movie.

Gifts For Those Who Like Old Hollywood, Subs, Spicoli and Spine Numbers

Over the past few years, The Criterion Collection has revived their reputation from the laserdisc days for pulling big, important movies into their workspace and giving them impressive treatments. While they’ve maintained a steady stream of variety from indie, arthouse, foreign, classic, and cult spectrums during the DVD and Blu-ray era and they’ve certainly offered a mainstream hit or two, they’ve tended to be more focused on smaller films that seem to need more than most. Now, on top of Citizen Kane, they’re digging deeper into studio catalogues for high pedigree classics that also “need it”, including the Bogart gangster-noir vehicle High Sierra (Amazon, Blu-ray), the classic ‘50s sci-fi thinker The Incredible Shrinking Man (Amazon, Blu-ray), and the renowned screwball rom-com Bringing Up Baby (Amazon, Blu-ray) with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn.

They’re not just going after black and white classics, either. After The Breakfast Club proved that they’re interested in more mainstream ‘80s comedies with significance behind them, this year they delivered the iconic coming-of-age dramedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Amazon, Blu-ray), complete with new interviews and the TV edit of the film. On top of this, The Criterion Collection have also procured the rights to two significant Asian cinema releases this year. Academy award-winning director Bong Joo-ho’s Memories of Murder (Amazon, Blu-ray) finally made its English-friendly Blu-ray debut in this region from Criterion, a masterful presentation of director’s most harrowing, gripping piece of cinema. Similarly to their beautiful Bruce Lee set, the label will also be producing a sprawling 6-disc boxset for the entirety of Once Upon a Time in China (Amazon, Blu-ray boxset) saga, mostly driven by director Tsui Hark and action legend Jet Li.

Gifts For Cult-Classic Lovers and ’80s Kids

Criterion wasn’t the only boutique label to have success in getting out some surprising titles this year, as cult-classic aficionados Arrow Video also produced some great ‘80s-era packages. Naturally, attention falls on David Lynch’s Dune (Amazon, 4K), which more than anything exists as a hypnotizing sci-fi curiosity nowadays … and, in a sense, as the oddball of Lynch’s body of work. Arrow provides a beautiful 4K transfer and heaps of extras to show and tell that story, though. They’ve done something similar for Ridley Scott’s Legend (Amazon, Blu-ray), another uniquely beautiful genre entry with a devoted fanbase, which arrives alongside a bountiful set of extras with the US and Director’s Cut versions in the best shape they’ve ever been.  Arrow also slipped in a stunning presentation of Tremors (Amazon) in 4K, an honorary ‘80s flick and action-horror classic.

Shout Factory devoted energy to their Halloween collector’s edition 4K releases, but they’ve also cranked out impressive discs from outside their ‘80s-cinema wheelhouse.  Moving to the ‘90s, they’ve presented the underappreciated Lovecraftian space horror flick Event Horizon (Shout Factory, Blu-ray) in a handsome package, and while it looks great, it’s the assertive sound that makes the disc mesmerizing. From there, Shout moves to modern cinema for a surprise release of Krampus … the Naughty Cut (Amazon, 4K), which features additional scenes and the original dialogue that was tweaked for the film to get a PG-13 rating.  Already a pretty fierce horror movie in its “tame” cut, this should be a perfect offering for the right film buff.  Perhaps even more surprising, however, is the fact that ultra-boutique label Vinegar Syndrome entered into the mainstream with a magnificent 4K release of the classic ‘80s fantasy film Beastmaster (Amazon, 4K + Blu-ray).

Gift For Those Who Take Pride In Filling Shelf Space With Cinema

Every time that it seems like the days of elaborate gift sets for physical movie releases might be in the rearview mirror, there’s always one or two in a given year that keep the energy alive. For 2021, that distinction largely falls on the 20th Anniversary 4K/Blu-ray release of Harry Potter (Amazon Exclusive), which comes in a nifty box designed to look like the Hogwarts Express train. Beyond that one, the rest of the gift sets this year have been designed to be slightly more manageable and streamlined on a shelf, letting graphic design do the work. As expected, a complete Middle-Earth 6-Film 4K Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Amazon, 4K + Blu-ray) batches the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit 4K trilogy sets from last year and adds new extras. There’s also the Karate Kid 4K Collection (Amazon, 4K), which presents the three Macchio films with classic poster cover art.

The rest of the gift sets on this list come with little caveats or asterisks, but they’re wholly worthwhile gifts for any cinema lover.  First, there’s the Evil Dead: Groovy Collection (Amazon) in 4K, which bundles together both the film and TV sagas of Bruce Campbell’s Ash against zombie-poltergeist baddies from the beyond … though, asterisk, this set doesn’t come with Army of Darkness, likely due to studio rights. The Criterion Collection has also lovingly crafted a World of Wong Kar Wai (Amazon, Blu-ray) boxset that curates all his “most beloved works” – including Blu-ray newcomer 2046! – in a beautiful package with, asterisk, controversially modified transfers under the supervision of the director. And then, continuing on the Criterion train, there’s the Essential Fellini (Amazon, Blu-ray) boxset released in November of last year, so the asterisk here is to make sure they didn’t get it last holiday.

2021 Gift Guide: Top 4K & Blu-rays for Movie and TV Fans

Preparing for an awesome Easter egg hunt with the kids? Want to stand out from the crowd with cool decorations?

Check out more than 200 wonderfully decorated Easter eggs with characters from movies like Star Wars and Ghostbusters, video games like Angry Birds, Mass Effect, Portal, Pokemon and Super Mario Brothers, television shows like Adventure Time, Doctor Who and Futurama as well as comic book characters like Superman, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk!

Homer, Spock, Beetlejuice, Gizmo, Hellboy

Mr. T, Mythbusters, Skelator, Death Star

Minions, Hobbes, Guardians of the Galaxy

StrongBad, Cookie Monster, Baymax

Frozen Eggs

Minecraft Eggs

LEGO Eggs

Batman / Spider-man

Avengers and the Justice League

Marvel Characters

Star Wars

Ghostbusters

Hipster Egg

Star Wars Original Trilogy

Stormtrooper

Adventure Time

Bender from Futurama

Emoji Easter Eggs

Doctor Who’s Tardis

Walking Dead Zombies

Futurama Cast

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Angry Birds

More Angry Birds

Super Mario Brothers

Mass Effect Characters

Pokemon

Portal and Half Life

Portal

Plants vs. Zombies

Reddit Memes

If you need some tips on how to makes eggs as awesome as the ones see above, we recommend checking out the following resources:

• How to Make Custom Easter Egg Dye: LINK
• 40 Creative Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs: LINK
• 17 Unique Easter Egg Decorating Ideas: LINK
• 26 New Ways to Decorate Those Easter Eggs: LINK
• Hundreds of tutorials on how to make unique Easter eggs on Instructibles: LINK

200+ Superbly Decorated, Pop Culture Easter Eggs

Created by animation designer Andry Rajoelina, this adorable collection of illustrations depicts father figures from movies and television shows walking their children to school. Movies and television shows depicted in this collection include Breaking Bad, The Goonies, Gremlins, TMNT, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Kickass, The A Team, Misfits, Back to the Future and Ghostbusters.

Check out the entire collection of movies dads below. If interested in purchasing a print, Rajoelina has made them available through his Big Cartel store here.

Walter White and little Jesse Pinkman

Doc Brown and little Marty McFly

NYC’s Statue of Liberty and the little Ghostbusters

Chunk and the Goonies

Mr. Wing and Gizmo

Professor Henry Jones and little Indy

Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler and the kids

Big Daddy, Hit-Girl and little Kickass

Hannibal and the little A Team

Tony Morecombe and the little Misfits

Master Splinter and the little Turtles

Awesome Movie & TV Dads Walking Their Kids to School

In a partnership with Tribeca (the company that runs the Tribeca Film Festival), Walmart has announced that 160 select locations around the United States will have their parking lots converted to a drive-in style movie theater.

While Walmart hasn’t indicated if the company will be charging admission for viewings, the company has stated moviegoers will be able to purchase concessions (popcorn, soft drinks, etc…) for curbside pickup. Walmart is setting up a way to order these items online, ideal if you want to avoid getting out of your car and interacting with crowds.

This is likely an extension of Tribeca’s attempt at making drive-in locations popular during the COVID pandemic. Previously announced back during May, the company was attempting to bring both new and old movies to drive-in moviegoers as well as live sporting events and concerts.

Partnering with IMAX and AT&T, Tribeca launched on June 25 at a handful of locations in California, New York, Texas and Florida. Each venue has a unique schedule of showings, the majority of which are movies. There are also options for double features, assuming you want to spend several hours in your car watching flicks.

If you are interested in the viewings at Walmart locations, you will be able to find more information at this link (likely later in July).

Walmart will be hosting drive-in movies starting in August

As movie theaters close down all over the United States due to coronavirus, several studios are moving films currently in theaters to streaming platforms like Vudu, Amazon, Apple and many others.

We’ve complied a full list (alphabetical order) to help you pass the time away while staying at home:

Birds of Prey

Available for purchase on March 24 for $20 or for rental on April 7 for $6.

Bloodshot

Available for purchase on March 24 for $20, no rental information yet.

Emma

Currently available as a 48-Hour, $20 rental.

The Gentlemen

Available for purchase on March 24 for $15, no rental information yet.

The Hunt

Currently available as a 48-Hour, $20 rental.

The Invisible Man

Currently available as a 48-Hour, $20 rental.

I Still Believe

Available for purchase on March 27 for $20, no rental information yet.

Onward

Currently available for $20 to own or Disney+ subscribers can watch it on April 3.

Sonic The Hedgehog

Available for purchase on March 31 for $20, no rental information yet.

The Way Back

Available for purchase on March 24 for $20, no rental information yet.

Trolls World Tour

Available for purchase on April 10 for $20, no rental information yet.

Bonus Info:

In addition, Disney has made Frozen 2 available on Disney+ as of this week and pushed the release of Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker to a March 13 release (with rental options opening up on March 31). Warner Bros. moved up the digital release of “Just Mercy” to March 24 as well.

Onward, Sonic & other movies in theaters move to streaming due to coronavirus

Welcome to the very first entry in our very first travel blog series! My name is Kristin, but if you’ve been around Ben’s at all, you might know me better as AgentK. For the last five years or so, I’ve spent a lot of time finding and posting deals for Ben’s, and by this point, I like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at saving money online. But when we decided to hit the road for 15 days, and head for California with our three kids (5, 3, 10 months…yes we’re a little insane), I knew I was going to have to try and take my “bargain hunting” skills to a whole new level.

To clarify: this is not going to be a trip where “cheap” means picking a 4 star hotel over a 5 star, or going with Subway over Jimmy Johns for lunch. We’re talking let’s spend as close to $0 as possible each day, until we get to our destination. Basically, we can’t afford this trip. But because I believe you can’t put a price tag on making memories, we’re going to do it anyway…and just be really, really cheap about it.

Because technology is cool (and again, we’re on a major budget here), I will be working my regular hours for Ben’s the whole time we’re on the road. This will be my second long trip working remotely (we did a two week long trip to New Orleans last fall), and I have a lot of good tips to share on how to make it work, thanks to a lot of trial and error.

Anyway, I’m super excited to get out and see some parts of the country we haven’t seen before, and I hope you’ll follow along!

Our itinerary:
We’re leaving from Minneapolis, going as far as Southern California (Disney! LEGOLand!), and then heading back home again. Because we have small children with even smaller attention spans, we don’t plan on driving more than 6 hours total on any given day. Places we’ll be spending time along the way include Denver, Southern Utah, Las Vegas, and then on the way home we’ll hit the Grand Canyon, Albuquerque, and Kansas City.

Our car setup:
When we bought our minivan a couple years ago (I know, so lame, but have a few kids and you’ll get one too I promise), we purposefully didn’t get one with a built-in DVD/Blu-ray player because I knew as soon as we went there, I’d never talk to my children in the car again. But I am definitely not above keeping them entertained with movies on longer trips! So we have this super fancy setup for our vacation: a portable DVD player we found for $7 at Goodwill, mounted on top of a cooler (when I say I’m cheap, I’m not kidding!).

For sound, we have the DVD player plugged into the aux port of our car, and adjust the fade so that the sound only comes out of the back speakers (next to the kids). Up front, we have this Altec Lansing Solo Bluetooth Speaker ($15 in the pink color), mounted to the console with velcro 3M Command Strips. Allows us to listen to our own music or podcasts while the kids get their movies in the back.

Most of the movies we have at home are Blu-rays/digital copies, so we had fun picking out DVDs the kids hadn’t seen before at Goodwill in the weeks leading up to our trip (they’re $1.99 each there).

Food: We’re planning on eating sandwiches for lunch each day, so we brought loaves of bread, lunch meat, cheese, peanut butter and jelly, etc in a cooler and will picnic it up at rest stops or random parks along the way. We also made a huge batch of cold press coffee ahead of time and put it in an empty 2-liter soda bottle. As much as I’d like to hit up Starbucks drive throughs, this is much cheaper and probably tastes better!

Accommodations: We’re doing a mix of hotels, camping, staying with friends/family, and maybe even just sleeping in the van. Because we don’t know exactly when we’ll want to be done driving for the night (depends on how crazy the kids are being), we don’t book any hotels until like an hour before we arrive. More on this on another post, but we use Priceline Express to get cheap (under $75/night) rooms last-minute, and we also have a Priceline credit card that earns us points toward free stays. For me, half the fun of a road trip is not having solid plans and playing it by ear. It’s an adventure and I absolutely love it.

So day #1 is complete and we made it past the most boring part of the journey: through Iowa and part of Nebraska. Our stops included a rest area and, wait for it, Fleet Farm. Thrilling! Tomorrow we’ll get into Colorado and things should start to look a little more interesting.

Off to swim with the kids…check back tomorrow for a post about my “work from the car” setup, and more!

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Ben’s on the Road: Day 1